Distorted Reality
by StormyNight55
Summary: Graystripe's sneaking out of camp, and Fireheart isn't happy about it. Under the threat of Tigerclaw, a secret is revealed which puts Fireheart in terrible danger. He must find a way back into the forest; or fire may never get the chance to save the Clan.
1. Secret

Okay, I have to make a few things very clear before anyone reads this story - it is NOT a rewrite of Fire and Ice, though it seems like one just based on this chapter. Things do get drastically differerent from the book's plot later on. Just bear with me until then, please? =]

**Warnings; There will be slash pairings! [mainly only one] That means male/male! If you don't like, don't read! Disclaimer; I do not own Warriors! I do not own the characters, or the series, or Fire and Ice. **

* * *

The way Graystripe was looking over his shoulder irked him. The fact that he had done it more than once was especially bothersome.

"What a pretty RiverClan cat she was!"

His blunt apprentice's comments were not helping, either.

"Stay with us," He told them both. They were in RiverClan territory still, and they couldn't afford to be off guard. Of course, that wasn't the only reason Fireheart was trying to get his friend's attention off of the RiverClan she-cat who had just saved him. Sure, he was grateful that the cat had bothered to save a trespassing ThunderClan cat at all, but that was over now. Something they could have a laugh about later. Something they didn't need to think about anymore.

"Are you okay?" He asked once they were back in ThunderClan territory.

"F-f-fine," Graystripe stuttered through chattering teeth.

"Sorry," Cinderpaw apologized, looking up at the shivering cat with concern.

"It's not your fault," Fireheart assured her. He wasn't concerned with who's fault it was that Graystripe had fallen through the ice on the river - more like how they were going to explain that they had no fresh-kill to offer, and that Graystripe was soaking wet and probably ill already.

"The stream near the training hollow is still running with water," Brackenpaw, his own apprentice's much more helpful sibling offered. "The Clan will probably assume Graystripe fell in there."

"We could say he was showing us how to catch fish," Cinderpaw added.

"I'm not sure how believable that is," Fireheart answered. Who would believe that Graystripe would get his fur wet voluntarily?

"I don't want everyone knowing I was rescued by a RiverClan cat!" Graystripe complained. Firestar rolled his eyes. Graystripe seemed to catch it, and added tactfully, "And we can't let them know I was in RiverClan territory again."

Fireheart knew Graystripe made a good point. The two of them had previously brought WindClan back to their old territory and taken a short cut through RiverClan lands, resulting in the death of one of their warriors.

"Alright," Fireheart agreed. "I -"

Fireheart stopped when he noticed who was sitting in the clearing, waiting for them. In the center of ThunderClan camp was Tigerclaw, tail folded neatly over his paws, as if he had been waiting patiently for quite some time. At the sight of them, his eyes narrowed and he got to his feet, closing the gap between them in no time.

"No fresh-kill?" He noted with distaste, "I thought you were supposed to be teaching your apprentices to hunt today. And you," He surveyed Graystripe closely, "Why are you soaked? You must have fallen into a river to get that wet. " His eyes widened slightly and he drew himself up to full height. "Don't tell me you were in RiverClan territory again!"

Graystripe and he both moved to speak, but Cinderpaw beat them both.

"It was my fault, Tigerclaw," She said, eyes never faltering under the glare of the much older cat. "We were hunting by the stream, the one near training hollow. I slipped on the ice and Graystripe came to help me, but it wasn't thick enough for him, and he fell through. It's really deep there. Fireheart had to pull him out."

Tigerclaw took her answer with only a moments hesitation. "Fine. You had better get yourself to Yellowfang before you freeze to death."

The large tabby stalked away, and Graystripe wasted no time following his orders. Fireheart turned on his apprentice.

"Aren't you at least a little bit frightened by Tigerclaw?" He asked curiously. Cinderpaw had had no trouble lying to the intimidating tom, even when he seemed ready to accuse them of trespassing in RiverClan territory.

"No," She replied, looking confused. "Why would I be? He's a great warrior; I admire him."

_Of course, _Fireheart thought to himself. How stupid he had been to ask! _She has no reason to be afraid of him._

"Well," He ordered, "Go and get warm."

Cinderpaw wasted no time, and charged after her brother towards the apprentice den. Fireheart made his way towards the fresh-kill pile, and plucked out a nice vole for himself. For a moment, he felt guilty that he was taking prey when he had none to show for he and Graystripe's hunting lesson, but a loud rumble from his stomach pushed aside those worries, and he tore a bite from his food. A sudden, loud sneeze interupted his meal, and he looked over his shoulder to find Graystripe approaching, smelling strongly of herbs.

"How are you?" He asked his friend.

"Yellowfang says I have to stay in camp," He reported, taking a seat beside Fireheart. "She says I have a chill."

"I'm not surprised," He answered, pushing a thrush towards him. "Here, eat. What did she dose you with?"

"Feverfew and lavender," He nibbled at the thrush. "This'll be enough for me. I'm not very hungry."

"Are you sure?" Fireheart asked. Graystripe was never one to pass up more fresh-kill. "There's plenty here."

Graystripe didn't reply, and simply continued to stare at his thrush.

"Are you sure?" Fireheart repeated more forcefully.

"What?" He asked, looking up at Fireheart. "Oh, yeah."

_Must be the fever. He_ thought to himself. Oh well; at least he was still here, thanks to that RiverClan cat.

---

Fireheart continued his training with Cinderpaw the next day, and, because Graystripe was no longer allowed out of camp, agreed to cover Brackenpaw's training for a few days as well. Luckily, his boisterous apprentice's brother was nothing like Cinderpaw, and was calm and easy to teach.

"Alright," He began, "One of you, demonstrate the hunting crouch I would use to catch a bird."

"Oh, me!" Cinderpaw cried, falling clumsily into the first crouch that crossed her mind. Brackenpaw, however, dropped into the correct stance quietly, and it was near perfect.

"Very good, Brackenpaw," He praised, and the apprentice got to his paws again and dipped his head in thanks. "Now, Cinderpaw -"

"Fireheart!"

The sudden call surprised him, and he stood and turned to see. Tigerclaw was coming towards him, an angry glint in his eyes.

"Have you seen Graystripe lately?" He hissed. "He was ordered to stay in camp, and he is certainly not there."

"Really?" Fireheart asked genuinely, then remembered who he was speaking with. "Well, I'm sure he's with Yellowfang; or maybe just going to get some fresh air."

Tigerclaw's dark amber eyes narrowed at him.

"Hm," He snorted. "Well, if you see him, tell him he is _not _to leave camp, and that he should report to me immidiately. Understand?"

"Yes, Tigerclaw," He said, and watched the tabby turn away with relief. The presence of Tigerclaw was like a dark cloud spoiling his clear day. Though, he really hadn't seen much of Graystripe the past few days. He wasn't allowed out of camp; so where would he be going?

---

When Fireheart returned to camp, Graystripe was still nowhere to be found. Worried, he checked the places he would expect to find him; the warriors den, Yellowfang's den. It was only when he checked behind the nursery, a key place to leave camp unnoticed, that he picked up on Graystripe's scent. He froze. Graystripe was sneaking out of camp!

Fireheart quickly followed the scent trail, making sure to stay downwind and in the shadows. He was hoping with all his might that the trail would lead him to a quiet spot in ThunderClan territory, or that it would just stop and Graystripe wouldn't be there at all. Suddenly, a rustling in the bracken made him duck down, covered by leaves. A nose pushed through, and then Graystripe emerged, heading off in the direction of training hollow. Hope flared slightly in his chest; perhaps his friend was bored with staying in camp, and was headed for some training. However, as he followed, the trail veered away from training hollow, and dread began to creep into Fireheart's stomach. There was no doubt now; Graystripe was headed for RiverClan territory. Fireheart settled into a hiding spot when he spotted Graystripe sitting neatly on the pebbly shore of the river. When an unfamiliar call sounded in the distance, Fireheart tensed, but Graystripe did not appear alarmed. In fact, he got to his feet and kneaded the ground in anticipation. When the source of the call revealed itself, Fireheart gasped.

Silverstream.

Fireheart's hackles prickled in horror as the silver she-cat pressed her fur, wet from swimming across the river, to Graystripe's. For once, the gray tom didn't seem to mind getting wet. In fact, his purring was so loud, Fireheart could hear it from where he was.

_What is he doing? _Fireheart gaped. _This - this can't be what it looks like._

Filled with confusion, worry and jealousy, Fireheart leapt from his hiding spot and landed on the pebbled shore. Silverstream's eyes widened, but Graystripe only noticed his presence when he let out a hiss.

"Graystripe!"

* * *

Let me know what you thought of it. I'm not a fan of this chapter because of how it's slightly rushed, and that we already know these things from the book. But, I promise it'll get better, since very soon we're taking off from the book-plot and heading into the fic's!


	2. Tragedy

Well, this chapter has parts that are close to the book and parts that are completely new. The plot will continue to get farther and farther from the book's plot as we go on, I promise!

**Warnings; Just so you're all entirely aware, this story is FirexGray. That means a malexmale pairing. Disclaimer; I do not own Warriors!**

* * *

Graystripe's ears flattened. "You followed me!"

"You're in RiverClan territory!" Fireheart ignored him, "And with - _her!_"

"So what?" Graystripe snapped.

"So what?" He repeated with disbelief. "Graystipe, she's from an enemy Clan!"

"She may be from a different Clan, but she's not my enemy," He said defensively. Fireheart's stomach burned with something like jealousy. Of course she was an enemy! ThunderClan and RiverClan were two very different Clans, with very different cats within them. Cats could perhaps be friends with those of other Clans - but lovers? The notion was ridiculous.

"What if you're caught?" He asked quickly.

"Silverstream would never let that happen," Graystripe said.

"As if she controls all of her Clans movements," He scoffed.

"Actually," She spoke up for the first time, and Fireheart found himself even disliking the sound of her voice. "I am the Clan leaders daughter. So I do know what my Clan is doing."

Fireheart's mouth fell agape.

"You couldn't have chosen any worse!" He cried, turning and stalking away. His tail lashed with anger, and the feeling only intensified when he realized Graystripe was not coming after him.

"Fine," He growled to himself. "Stay with her, then."

He continued to fume angrily until he reached camp, where Cinderpaw bound over towards him.

"Are we training tomorrow, Fireheart?" She asked curiously. Her brother was approaching from behind, much more calmly. "Me and Brackenpaw wanted to know."

Fireheart suddenly did not feel like training the other apprentice at all. Why should he make up for duties Graystripe was skipping out on? After all, Brackenpaw was Graystripe's responsibility, and if he was going to toss that to the side for some RiverClan she-cat, it was no skin off his bones.

Yet, watching the young tom blink expectantly at him, he knew he could not refuse. This apprentice had done nothing to deserve being cheated out of normal apprentice training, even if he had been given a wayward mentor.

"Yes," He answered, and Cinderpaw's eyes lit up with excitement. She was easily the most enthusiastic apprentice he could ever imagine meeting. "So, get a good night's sleep, both of you. We'll be starting early tomorrow."

Fireheart watched the two leave, Brackenpaw listening to his sister's excited chatter with amused purrs. For a moment, his heart ached to talk to Graystripe in such a carefree manner again. However, after today, Fireheart was fairly certain he and Graystripe would not be on such friendly terms for a long while.

---

When Fireheart awoke, he was in a forest. The breeze was gentle, the grass soft and the scene peaceful and calm. He got to his feet and glanced around. It was such a serene place, yet no one seemed to be around.

_Fireheart._

His eyes widened and he looked around. He knew that voice!

_Fireheart, you must listen._

"Spottedleaf?" He asked hesitantly. Suddenly, a soft scent lingered under his nose, one he knew, yet had not smelled in awhile.

_Yes,_ Her voice spoke in whispy tones, and he still could not see her._ You must listen closely, Fireheart. Not everyone close to you is a friend, and not everyone afar is an enemy. _

"What?" He asked, trying to decipher what she meant before she had the chance to slip away. "Do you mean I can't trust my friends?"

There was no answer. Fireheart began to feel the calm forest image slipping away.

"Wait!" He cried. "Tell me, is that what you mean? Can I trust -"

The image was gone. An unspoken question lingered in the air.

_Can I trust Graystripe?_

---

When Fireheart awoke, this time completely free of dreams, he noticed Graystripe was not in his usual place near him. His immediate assumption was that the gray warrior had snuck off again, but when he stood and stretched, he saw that Graystripe was in camp; he had simply chosen a sleeping spot farther away from Fireheart than usual. Tail twitching with annoyance, he emerged from the den and settled near the fresh-kill pile. He had been about to bite into it when he saw Dustpaw come streaking through camp, stopping at the medicine den. Yellowfang must have stopped him, for he kneaded the ground impatiently and, though Fireheart could not hear what was being said, he could hear the urgency in his voice. Curious, he got up and padded closer.

"Tigerclaw needs to see her, it's urgent!"

"Well, he'll just have to handle things without her, won't he?" Yellowfang growled back. "Bluestar's sick with greencough, she's not leaving my sight!"

"ShadowClan could be in our territory by now!"

Fireheart felt the need to intervene slowly growing, and when the bickering showed no sign of stopping, he walked closer.

"What's wrong?" He asked Dustpaw. The apprentice didn't seem to appreciate his asking, for he gave him a glare that reeked of dislike.

"ShadowClan has been hunting in our territory," He explained. "Tigerclaw needs to see Bluestar urgently."

"Tigerclaw will just have to handle matters on his own, now won't he?" Yellowfang retorted sourly. Dustpaw looked just about ready to reply when Cinderpaw came bounding over to the scene.

"Handle what on his own?" She asked nosily.

"Tell Tigerclaw that Bluestar cannot come," Yellowfang ignored the apprentice. "His word ought to be enough; Bluestar does not need to see the scene for herself."

"Wait!" Cinderpaw interupted again, her next statement proving that she had been eavesdropping before. "I can deliver the message!"

"I'll be going!" Dustpaw retorted.

"Neither of you will go!" Yellowfang hissed. "If ShadowClan truly are in our territory, we need our cats here. Now, unless you have no respect for your elders, do as I say and stay here!"

"What about Tigerclaw, Yellowfang?" Fireheart asked, making sure to sound respectful and choose his words carefully. "We need him back at camp, and he's waiting for the message."

"Yes, well…" Yellowfang began, but Cinderpaw beat her to it.

"I've got it!" She announced, jumping to her paws and taking off. Fireheart's head whipped around to follow his apprentices path out of camp.

"Cinderpaw, wait!" He called, "Stop!"

His cries fell on deaf ears as the excited apprentice flew out of sight. He heard Dustpaw snort, and his ears burned red. He couldn't even get his own apprentice to listen to him! Irritated, he padded out of camp in pursuit, but broke into a run once he was out of sight. He didn't want to call out to her anymore, and make himself sound even more foolish that she wouldn't listen to him. Soon, the acrid smell of the Thunderpath wafted through the air, and knew he was getting close. Cinderpaw couldn't be far ahead -

A sudden, shrill cry cut off his thoughts. The sound made his heart drop, and he quickened his pace. As soon as he reached the side of the Thunderpath, he saw. Tigerclaw was standing over a motionless body, rigid with shock. One leg was twisted and bloody. It was Cinderpaw.

"What is this?" Tigerclaw snapped suddenly. "Who sent her?

"She came to tell you Bluestar is too sick to come." Fireheart answered, eyes still wide and focused on Cinderpaw.

"_You_ sent her here?" He hissed.

"No!" He answered. "She came by herself."

_Because I couldn't make her listen to me._

There was a sudden, small gasp, and both of their attention focused on the motionless body before them. Fireheart stared, and as he did, noticed a faint rising and falling of her side.

"She's breathing," He said quietly, and Tigerclaw looked at him for a moment. Fireheart instantly grabbed her by the scruff and began to tug her away, as carefully as he could. This was his duty, his apprentice. Tigerclaw would have no part of it.

"I've checked Snakerocks, Tigerclaw, there's no sign of -"

Darkstripe stopped speaking seconds after he arrived, glancing at the body that was disappearing into the woods and then back at the deputy.

"What happened?"

---

Yellowfang was not in her den. Fireheart prepared a nest himself, and gently pulled Cinderpaw onto the soft moss. She made no sound, and he watched the rise and fall of her side as if his own life depended on it.

"Let me see her."

Yellowfang appeared beside him, pushing her way through. Someone must have told her, seeing as he had been easily spotted by nearly every cat in the clearing when he had arrived. They had all wanted to know the story, yet the only cat he had felt like answering had been Frostfur. He had only paused for a moment to say, 'She's been hit by a monster', before continuing on his way to Yellowfang's den.

"Fireheart, go get yourself some fresh-kill. You look ill."

He felt ill. Yet he didn't imagine a piece of prey making him feel any better. No, the only cure for this feeling would be seeing Cinderpaw up and running around again.

"Fireheart," Yellowfang said again, this time more forcefully. He dipped his head, knowing better than to argue with her, and left the den. However, instead of heading to the fresh-kill pile, he went for the warriors den. When he peeked his head inside, he found no one. Glancing around camp, he still found no sign of the cat he wanted to see.

_Of course,_ He thought bitterly to himself. _I should have known. Graystripe must be off with Silverstream again. _

Stalking over to the fresh-kill pile, he grabbed himself a piece and bit into it forcefully. Everything was out of his paws now. His friend, his apprentice…the cats who he actually had good advice for refused to listen to him. Fireheart only hoped things would turn out better for Graystripe than they had for Cinderpaw.

* * *

If you can guess what Spottedleaf means by her warning, you get...something. I don't know what yet. It's a very blunt message so it shouldn't be difficult to get it. Please review!


	3. Promise

This chapter's a bit short, but I had to get it out of the way before I could get to the next chunk of problems in our plot - and more problems are coming up real soon =]

[By the way, a quick question - does anyone else think the way I've been naming these chapters is annoying? I'm unsure if I should continue like that].

**Warnings; Slash pairings. That's about it, for now. Disclaimer; I don't own Warriors. Fanfiction IS for 'fans', eh?**

* * *

The snow fell thick on the ground, and a chilled breeze matched the numbness of Fireheart's paws. Bluestar had put he and Graystripe on patrol together, unaware of the tension between them. The silence was as thick as the snow beneath his paws, before Graystripe finally broke it.

"I visited Cinderpaw."

Fireheart didn't answer. He wanted to ask how Graystripe had managed to find time to spare his friend's injured apprentice, when all he seemed to be interested in doing was visiting enemy warriors.

"Yellowfang says she'll heal," He went on. "I'm sorry about what happened."

"Yeah," He murmured. The silence continued for a few more moments, before Graystripe, who had been walking behind him, suddenly sped up and met his pace, shoulder to shoulder.

"Look," He began. "What's wrong with you? You won't even talk to me anymore!"

"What's wrong with _me?_" Fireheart responded, finally looking the other tom in the eye. "You're the one sneaking off all the time!"

Graystripe glanced around, as if he was afraid someone would overhear them on their lonely patrol. "I can't help it, okay? I need to see Silverstream. I love her!"

"How can you?" He answered desperately. "She's a RiverClan cat! Even worse, she's the leader's daughter!"

"It doesn't matter," Graystripe insisted. "I can't stop seeing her. I won't."

_Not even for me, _Fireheart growled inwardly. _Not even for me, and I'm supposed to be your closest friend._

"Graystripe," He went on. "You can't go on like this -"

Graystripe shook his head through out Fireheart's warning, the words going over his head. Fireheart saw just how futile his attempt was, and sighed angrily. He quickened his pace to escape his old friend, and this time, Graystripe didn't follow.

---

Fireheart felt useless without an apprentice. He was still assisting Brackenpaw from time to time, but Graystripe seemed to have picked up where he had left off in their training together. This left Fireheart with not much to do besides his average warrior duties, and he was now finding them more than a bit dull without Graystripe or Cinderpaw to liven them up.

"Fireheart!" He heard an irritated voice call his name, and knew instantly who it was. "Where is Graystripe? I want him on patrol tonight."

"I don't know, Tigerclaw," Fireheart responded, turning to face the other tom. "Though he was already on patrol this morning."

"You have no idea where he is?" Tigerclaw went on, and Fireheart got the feeling Graystripe's disappearances were starting to become noticeable.

"No idea," Fireheart repeated. As much as he wished Graystripe would stop seeing Silverstream and just come back to ThunderClan - and _him_ - he could not bring himself to rat him out. Especially not to Tigerclaw. The tabby's eyes narrowed with suspicion.

"Very well," He said. "Then I want you to find him for me. Tell him he is to report to me immidiately, in Bluestar's den."

"Yes, Tigerclaw," He agreed. The other tom stared for a moment longer before stalking away, and even with something as simple as his departure, the air around Fireheart seemed to lighten. Even with the recent tension between he and Graystripe, Fireheart felt the need to warn his friend of the danger. Secretly, he even hoped that Tigerclaw's suspicion would be enough to keep Graystripe from seeing Silversteam again, at least for awhile. Yet, he knew it would not be enough. Jealousy churned in Fireheart's stomach like a storm.

After conducting a thorough inspection of camp, Fireheart deduced that Graystripe had taken yet another outing into RiverClan territory. Where else would his friend be? Certainly not in ThunderClan lands, and most definitely not with him, his supposed friend_. _

Fireheart, for a moment, considered grabbing a piece of prey and simply waiting for Graystripe to show back up. However, he was currently without an apprentice, and Tigerclaw didn't seem interested in giving him any duties. He wasn't going to sit around and eat all day. Quickly, Fireheart scanned the clearing and made sure nobody was looking, before slipping behind the nursery and out of sight. He guessed that Graystripe's meeting place would be around the same place Fireheart had caught him before, if not the exact same. He hurried along the path, hoping no one would notice his absence. After all, he didn't plan on being gone long. Just as he arrived at his destination, he spotted Graystripe coming up the bank, away from the river.

"Graystripe!" He called, unable to help glancing up at Silverstream, who was vanishing into the trees on the other side of the river.

"Fireheart," Graystripe stopped in his tracks, his expression one of confusion and defensiveness. "What are you doing here?"

"Tigerclaw's looking for you," He began, noting the edge in the other tom's voice. _He thinks I'm here to try and stop him. Again. _

"Why?"

"Because you've been gone so often," Fireheart responded. "You're getting noticed."

Graystripe didn't answer for a few seconds.

"Well," He began, "I'll just have to be more careful."

Fireheart's tail, which had been suspended in the air behind him, dropped like a rock at his friend's words. Graystripe didn't seem to notice.

_Of course. Not even Tigerclaw can keep him from Silverstream. Why did I bother thinking any differently?_

"Go on, then," Fireheart told him, not facing the gray tom directly. "I'll catch up with you."

For a moment, Graystripe looked like he was about to ask what Fireheart was going to do. Instead, he merely started up the bank, disappearing into the plants behind him. Fireheart waited until he could no longer hear the soft pawsteps, and then hurried down the bank until he reached the river. It was frozen over, luckily enough for him, and he carefully padded across, keeping his senses alert. He was trespassing, now. He continued into the cover of trees, and kept low, hoping that if anyone came along, they wouldn't notice him. His conversation with Graystripe had been relatively short, so he hoped Silverstream hadn't gone _too_ far into her own territory…

"Fireheart?"

Fireheart jumped back, fur standing on end. He had been so absorbed in hoping the silver she-cat hadn't gone too far that he had almost forgotten to look for her. However, there she was, standing in front of him with a confused expression.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, "I thought you would leave with Graystripe."

Oh. She had been watching him, then.

"Silverstream," He began, and it felt strange to finally be addressing her face-to-face. "I just…I came to tell you that -"

"If you're here to persuade me to stop seeing him," She said quietly, "you can't."

"But Silverstream," He continued, "It's dangerous! Graystripe's attracting attention at camp, cats are noticing how often he's gone!"

A slight look of worry crossed her face, but it was gone just as quickly as it appeared.

"I'm worried about him," Fireheart went on, "Please, Silverstream, if you care at all about his safety, you'll listen to me."

"I can't," She insisted.

"Please," He began persistently, trying to find the words to explain. "I…I really do worry about him, Silverstream, I don't want anything to happen to him."

"I know," She said, and the way she actually sounded understanding surprised Fireheart. "I want him safe just as much as you do, Fireheart. He's told me all about you; how you're his closest friend -"

_Friend, _Fireheart thought to himself. _That's it. Not enough to keep him from you…_

"But I promise you, I would never put Graystripe in any kind of danger. If you're still worried," She went on, and Fireheart couldn't help but feel less bitter towards her. She did seem genuinely concerned that he was worried, after all. "Graystripe has me to keep him safe from RiverClan, and you to keep him safe from ThunderClan. There's no better cats for the job, in my opinion."

Her face now held a warm expression, and Fireheart knew he stood no chance in convincing her.

"Thank you, Silvestream," He said quietly, even though he had nothing to thank her for. When he turned to leave, Silverstream spoke.

"Goodbye, Fireheart. Graystripe and I will be fine; trust us."

* * *

Poor Silverstream doesn't know how wrong she is. But anyway! Next chapter we'll finally see some real confrontation - though it's probably not with who you'd expect.


	4. Confusion

Okay, just to let you guys know - Chances are the whole Brokenstar thing won't take place in this fic. There's really a lot that happens in Fire and Ice [I never realized how much until now!] and to fit it all in with my own plot isn't working out. And by the way, things are going to pick up speed and actually get more interesting in about two or so chapters. In the next one, if I can manage it.

**Disclaimer; None of it's mine. **

* * *

With his paws vanishing into the snow with every step, Fireheart did his best to focus on the hunt. A scrawny rabbit was a few fox-lengths ahead of him, posed on back feet, eyes searching the area. He was sufficiently hidden, and once he was close enough to strike, there would be no missing this kill.

Suddenly, a flash of ginger fur flew in front of him and landed atop his prey. Confused for a moment, Fireheart realized what had happened.

"Sandpaw!" He stood, revealing himself. "I thought you were going to hunt near Snakerocks!"

"I was," The ginger apprentice purred, obviously pleased with herself despite having stolen another cat's kill. She dropped it from her jaws to finish speaking. "But I wasn't having much luck. Looks like coming this way was a good idea, hm?"

Fireheart suppressed a growl. That could have been - _should_ have been his rabbit to bring back to the Clan. Now, chances were he would have nothing at all to add to the fresh-kill pile.

Sandpaw's pleasant expression changed to one of concern. "I can help you find something else, if you want."

The offer surprised him. Sandpaw was not often friendly to him, and seemed to only tolerate him at best. Especially after he had been made a warrior before her.

"No," He replied. He did need to find something else to bring back, but he couldn't accept her help in finding it. "No, it's alright."

Still, her look did not change. "Here," She said, pushing the rabbit toward him. "Take it."

"No," Fireheart continued to insist, "You caught it, I'm sure I -"

"You would have," Sandpaw interupted. "If I hadn't come along. Just take it, alright?"

Fireheart opened his mouth to object again, but Sandpaw beat him to it.

"If you don't take it, it's never going to get back to camp. I'm not taking it," With that, she turned on her paws and began walking the other way. Fireheart watched her go with confusion. He was pretty sure that, in her own strange way, Sandpaw was warming up to him. Perhaps stealing his prey - and then offering it back - was her way of showing this?

Still a bit confused, Fireheart grabbed the rabbit and headed back to camp.

---

When Fireheart returned to camp, Graystripe was there. The gray warrior was seated near the fresh-kill pile, biting into a shrew. Fireheart dropped his rabbit off at the pile, and was about to grab a piece for himself when he felt someone tap his shoulder.

"Graystripe?" He couldn't help but ask. The other tom had placed a tail tip on his shoulder, and Fireheart wondered what this was about. Despite his confusion, he couldn't help but feel a sense of relief that his friend was willing to get this close to him, after all of their recent tension.

"Cinderpaw's up," He said, and Fireheart's eyes widened. "I just saw her. You should too; before everyone else crowds the den."

Fireheart, in his haste, hurried past Graystripe without another thought. It was only when he got to the mouth of the den that he realized he should have thanked him.

"Graystr -!" He turned and began the call, then cut it short. All that was left of the warrior was a gray tail disappearing into the forest, and Fireheart knew where he was off to. Suddenly, he didn't feel like thanking Graystripe anymore.

"Yellowfang?" He stuck his head inside the den, pushing thoughts of Graystripe out of his head, and the jealousy out of his thoughts. Though, he had to admit, he was far less bitter now that he knew Graystripe's mate wasn't the kind of cat he had assumed she would be. Still, that didn't keep him from wishing Graystripe would simply forget about her and come back to _him_…

"Fireheart," The elderly she-cat rasped. "I've been waiting for you to arrive."

"I only just found out she's awake," Fireheart explained. "Where is she?"

"Fireheart!"

The voice came from a separate section of the den, where Yellowfang usually slept. Fireheart looked to Yellowfang, who nodded, and he sped towards the sound.

"Cinderpaw?" He peeked inside, eyes darting around for his bubbly apprentice.

"Fireheart," She greeted, tail waving excitedly. "I've been wanting to see you."

"It's true," Yellowfang said from behind him. "She's been whining about it all morning. It's about time you decided to pay her a visit."

"I only just found out, Yellowfang," Fireheart explained carefully, not taking the old she-cat's words to heart. "Or I would have come right away; right, Cinderpaw?"

The gray she-cat nodded.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, entering the den fully.

"Better," She said. "But it still hurts!"

"Don't get her started, Fireheart," Yellowfang rasped. "I've had enough of her complaints!"

"She should stop making me do exercises if she doesn't want to hear me complain," Cinderpaw whispered, so that only he and she could hear. Fireheart couldn't help but twitch his whiskers in amusement.

"What exercises do you mean?"

"Yellowfang makes me stretch my leg all the time," Cinderpaw began, and he could already detect a slight whine in her voice, as if the thought of exercises made her sick. "They're dumb."

"I can hear, you know!" Yellowfang called from where she was sorting herbs. "They're meant to hurt; it means they're working!"

"Well, they still hurt," Cinderpaw rolled her eyes, and Fireheart chuckled. "_So_, did Graystripe ever get to see that pretty she-cat again?"

She said it much more quietly, and the glint of mischief in her eyes shone brightly. Fireheart's heart dropped as she said the words; she had no idea how close she was to guessing Graystripe's biggest secret.

"What she-cat?" He whispered back, playing dumb.

"You know!" She responded, even more quietly than before. "The RiverClan one."

"Of course not," He lied. StarClan, how he wished he wasn't lying.

"I was only kidding," She answered, then laughed about it. "That would never happen."

She had no idea how terrible he was suddenly feeling.

"Well, I have a hunting patrol soon, Cinderpaw," He continued his lies. "Would you like me to bring you some fresh-kill before I go?"

"No," She replied. "Yellowfang makes sure I have enough to eat."

Fireheart said his goodbyes and, as he exited the den, heard Yellowfang mumble grumpily.

"Of course I keep her fed; if she was hungry for even a second, I'd never hear the end of it!"

---

"I'm sorry about Cinderpaw."

Fireheart was slight sick of hearing that. He knew everyone was sorry about what had happened; but he had really heard it enough times. After all, she was getting better anyway, wasn't she?

On top of that, he had never expected to hear it from Sandpaw. It wasn't that she didn't feel bad about it; Fireheart was sure she did. Yet, she had never seemed to like him much.

"She's doing better," Fireheart told her, unsure why Sandpaw had asked him to come along on this hunt. Maybe she still felt bad about killing his rabbit earlier? But that didn't seem like Sandpaw at all.

Suddenly, Sandpaw stopped in her tracks and dropped into a crouch. Fireheart did the same, only hearing the rustling in the snow covered bushes after her cue. He couldn't smell anything, yet there had to be something there…

"Sandpaw?" A cat emerged from the bracken, and Fireheart straightened up. "I thought you were hunting with me today. What are you doing with this _kittypet_?"

Fireheart bristled at the name, but held his tongue. After all, Dustpaw was probably only jealous that Fireheart was a warrior, while he was still waiting on his ceremony.

"What do you think?" Sandpaw retorted, and Fireheart was surprised at her irritated tone. "Hunting."

"What for?" Dustpaw asked, his voice was arrogant, but held a hint of confusion. "It's not like he's any good at it."

"Oh please," Sandpaw rolled her eyes. "Everyone knows you're only jealous that Fireheart's a warrior already and you're not."

Dustpaw's reaction was visible, as his eyes widened and his tail lashed angrily.

"I don't care what that kittypet does," Dustpaw hissed back. "But I had thought better of _you_."

The tom turned his back on them and stalked back into the bushes. Not even waiting for him to be out of earshot, Sandpaw turned to him and spoke.

"Don't worry about him, Fireheart," She meowed nonchalantly, as if the argument had never occurred. "He's only jealous."

Fireheart was still stumped. Why would Sandpaw defend him over Dustpaw? Only a moon ago she couldn't stand to be near him. What had brought on this change?

"Wh-…" He began, changing his mind just as he opened his mouth to speak.

_I'll just leave it alone,_ He decided. _No point in asking why she did it. Maybe she doesn't dislike me as much as I thought._

"What, Fireheart?"

"Nothing," He told her, taking a few steps forward. "Now, let's get back to hunting; we're letting all the prey get away from us."

Sandpaw nodded, and they set off again, leaving Fireheart to wonder what he had done to earn Sandpaw's respect.

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Sorry if the fic is moving kind of slowly - I promise, there's a bigger plot to this than just Fireheart wishing Graystripe would stop seeing Silverstream.

Reviews are appreciated!


	5. Shock

Sorry about the slight lateness of this update!

**Disclaimer; I own nothing!**

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"Hey, Fireheart? Get up."

Fireheart was being prodded awake, gently, but urgently. His eyes opened reluctantly, expecting to see one of the senior warriors waking him for dawn patrol. Instead, Graystripe was standing above him, looking bewildered.

"Come on, get up."

His eyes opened immidiately, and he quickly got to his feet.

"What is it?" He said, and was shushed by his friend.

"Quiet," The gray tom whispered, "Come on."

Fireheart followed him out of the warriors den, wondering what was going on.

"Graystripe," He called quietly, but the tom raced ahead. "Wait!"

When he realized Graystripe was taking him out of camp, his suspicion grew even more. Where was Graystripe leading him? Was he showing him something?

Finally, the gray tom slowed down enough for Fireheart to question him.

"Where are we going?" He demanded, "I'm not going any further until you tell me."

"To see Silverstream," He answered bluntly, but offered no further explanation.

"Why?"

"I don't know," He confessed, "She said she wanted to see you. I don't know why."

This confused Fireheart. Perhaps that was why Graystripe looked as bewildered as Fireheart felt - he had no idea what his mate wanted with his friend.

The two walked on in silence for awhile, until coming upon the border between ThunderClan and RiverClan. There, they found a silver she-cat waiting across the river. She padded carefully over the icy river, which still had thick enough ice to walk across, though it would soon be thawed. She and Graystripe briefly touched noses, but the emotion in that single action was clear. Fireheart was suddenly wishing that he had refused to come along.

"Fireheart," Silverstream greeted, "I'm glad you came."

He dipped his head, but it was a half-hearted gesture of respect. Silverstream was not rude or unlikable by any means - but Fireheart's dislike of her relationship with Graystripe affected what he thought of her, even though he didn't mean it to.

"Graystripe, you don't mind if I speak to Fireheart alone for a moment, do you?" Silverstream asked. The question seemed to surprise Graystripe as much as it did Fireheart.

"Oh," He began, even glancing at Fireheart, as if his friend had any better idea of what was going on than he did. "No. No, of course not."

"Thanks," She purred, giving him a quick lick to the cheek. "It won't be long, I promise."

Graystripe hesitated for a moment before turning his back on them, and heading back towards ThunderClan territory. Fireheart wondered briefly what could be going through the gray tom's mind.

_Imagine if he thought something was going on between me and Silverstream! _Fireheart almost laughed aloud at the thought. _He couldn't be farther from the truth._

"Fireheart?" Silverstream was watching him closely. He quickly pushed aside his thoughts and straightened up. "I just…had something to ask you."

"What is it?" He answered.

"I've been thinking a lot; about when you followed me into RiverClan territory, to ask me to stop seeing Graystripe," Her eyes seemed reluctant to meet his, and his heart rose for a second.

_Is she going to tell me she'll listen? That she won't see him anymore?_

"I couldn't help but notice…the way you spoke about Graystripe."

Fireheart was silent for a second, and he realized she was waiting for him to answer. Yet all he could think of to say was, "What?"

She closed her eyes for a moment, before opening them slowly and continuing.

"How worried you sounded. Not only that; just…how you looked. There was something about it, Fireheart, and I've only seen it a few times before. You looked like you would have given anything for me to stop seeing him."

Fireheart's sense of hope was quickly fading, and changing into one of worry. Silverstream was getting dangerously close to the truth - he _would _have given anything for her to stop seeing him, and he still would at that moment. How had she detected all of that in a single conversation? Had he really looked that desperate?

"I…recognized that look, Fireheart. When we first began meeting, I warned Graystripe that this might not work, with my father being Clan leader. He had that same look, and that same tone, the entire time he tried to convince me that it would."

This was it. Fireheart could practically feel it. She knew.

"How much do you care about Graystripe, Fireheart?"

She probably couldn't bring herself to ask it. After all, Graystripe was _her _mate. She shouldn't have to ask any cat, 'Do you love him?'. _Especially _not a tom. He opened his mouth to reply, but nothing came to mind, so he quickly closed it again. After a few more seconds of silence, he figured he had already blown his secret by not responding, and got to his feet hastily.

"Wait," She stood up as well, as if to stop him. "Fireheart -"

Too late. He was already padding back towards the forest, eyes locked on the path ahead of him.

"I won't say anything," He heard her say quietly. She probably thought that he couldn't hear her. "I promise."

It was funny to him. Almost. Both times he had talked to Silverstream alone, it had ended in a promise. Each time, they were promises Fireheart desperately hoped she could keep.

---

Over the next few days, Fireheart held his breath every time a cat approached him, closed his eyes every time he noticed two cats gossiping or whispering nearby. It was as if all eyes were on him, though none were. Tigerclaw was watching him as closely as ever, but that was nothing new. Cinderpaw was actually limping around camp, but for limited periods of time. If she walked on her bad leg for too long, it would ache; and if Cinderpaw's leg ached, the entire camp heard about it. Graystripe had never asked him what Silverstream had wanted to speak with him about - but there was no doubt in Fireheart's mind that he wanted to know.

"Hey, Fireheart."

Fireheart looked up from his piece of fresh-kill, and spotted Sandpaw approaching him.

"Bluestar wants to let you know you'll be staying behind during the Gathering," She reported. Her expression seemed excited, and Fireheart guessed that she was being allowed to go.

"Are you going?"

"Yep," She said, tailing waving proudly. "I'm hoping that I hear something interesting once I'm there."

Fireheart chuckled. "Gatherings are about more than that, Sandpaw."

"Right," Sandpaw rolled her eyes, "Because you're an expert on Gatherings."

"I didn't mean it like that -"

"I'm only kidding," She clarified, and Fireheart felt slightly relieved. He was still a bit uncomfortable talking to Sandpaw so freely, seeing as not too long ago he had been one of her least favorite cats around camp.

"When is everyone leaving?" Fireheart asked.

"I'm not sure," Sandpaw confessed. "It should be soon, though. I just came over here to have a quick meal before we leave."

Just as Sandpaw was about to bite into her mouse, Bluestar appeared from her den and leapt upon the Highrock.

"All cats who are attending the Gathering, come with me," She called, before leaping down. "We must not be late."

As the cats of ThunderClan dispersed from camp, Fireheart found himself sitting alone, camp mostly empty. Darkstripe was sitting in the corner of camp near Bluestar's den, licking his paws with an irritated expression on his face. Fireheart knew that there was a hunting party already out - he assumed that's where the rest of his Clanmates were, since he doubted that he and Darkstripe were the only ones staying behind.

"Hi, Fireheart!"

Cinderpaw was hobbling towards him from the medicine den, her mangled leg dragging behind her.

"I didn't know you were staying behind," She said. "Now maybe I won't be so bored."

Fireheart purred, "If I hadn't been picked to stay behind, you'd only have Darkstripe for company."

Cinderpaw stuck out the tip of her tongue and wrinkled her nose. "No thanks. He's no fun."

He laughed, before pushing the remainder of his vole towards her. "Hungry? I'm not going to finish this."

"Okay," She mewed, taking a few quick bites.

Fireheart had just settled down for a wash when he heard nearby leaves rustling, like something was quickly approaching.

"Fireheart? Fireheart!" It was Graystripe, who came crashing into camp without a moments hesitation. Darkstripe looked up from his own wash and stared, while Cinderpaw swallowed one last bite before looking up.

"Fireheart, you have to help me," Graystripe ran towards him, just managing to stop before he crashed into him. However, once he was stopped, he was padding around again, pacing frantically.

"What's going on?" He asked quietly, deeply unnerved by his friend's behavior. "Graystripe, quiet down - is this about Silverstream?"

"Yes!" He burst, but it was an urgent whisper. "Please, I need help - someone's murdered her!"

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Ooh, cliffhanger? I love those. Please review!


	6. Anger

This chapter's a bit short, and it was a little delayed, so sorry for that. I had a little case of writer's block, but I've got that cured, at least for now.

**Disclaimer; It should be clear by now - I don't own anything. Warnings; Same as usual.**

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"Silverstream?" Cinderpaw asked, but both toms ignored her. "You mean that RiverClan cat who saved you?"

"Cinderpaw, Yellowfang's been teaching you about herbs, hasn't she?" Fireheart asked quickly, and noticed that Darkstripe was getting up, most likely to check on what all the commotion was about.

"Kind of," The apprentice answered.

"She's cut up all over the place, she's bleeding everywhere!" Graystripe wailed, and Fireheart worried that they were going to attract even more attention If Graystripe didn't calm down.

"What do we do for that?" Fireheart asked quickly.

"Cobwebs," Cinderpaw said. "Yellowfang always uses cobwebs for bleeding."

"We're going to go get some," Fireheart told her, "distract Darkstripe for us, will you?"

"Okay," Cinderpaw agreed, but her eyes were full of confusion. Fireheart was glad that she had obliged - he had seen Cinderpaw's lying ability before, and though it sometimes worried him, he had faith that she would be able to come up with a believable lie. Quick on their paws, the two toms hurried to Yellowfang's den and began their search.

"Okay," He muttered, looking around. "Cobwebs."

"We have to hurry!" Graystripe was kneading the ground frantically, whispering urgently.

"I know," He tried to remain patient. "Help me look!"

"There!" Graystripe moved forward and grabbed a wad of cobwebs in his jaws. Fireheart snatched another clump from the pile and followed Graystripe out of the den.

"Fireheart!" He heard his name coming from across camp, but ignored the cry. Darkstripe called again, but Graystripe had already streaked across camp and into the forest, and Fireheart was not far behind.

Graystripe was bounding over roots, through bracken and avoiding obstacles at a speed Fireheart had never seen him use before. Clumsily, Fireheart attempted to charge headlong through a thorn bush, and snagged his muzzle and cobwebs. Determined to keep up, he yanked them away and kept going. He was doing his best to keep up, but while adrenaline was fueling Graystripe, only a single, skinny vole he had eaten that morning was keeping him going. Moments later they appeared at the bank of the river between ThunderClan and RiverClan territory, a border Fireheart had become extremely familiar with. Beside the river, a body was lying motionless, one Fireheart recognized all too well.

"Silverstream," Grasytripe meowed as they approached, nudging her gently. "Please, don't leave me. I have Fireheart - we're going to help you."

Silverstream made no sound, nor motion. Fireheart felt a sinking feeling in his stomach.

"I…"

"Silverstream?" Graystripe's voice cracked with emotion. "Hold on, let me just…"

He trailed off, and began sloppily applying cobwebs. Neither of them had any experience with herbs, so the bandages were amateur at best.

"Fire…"

Fireheart's ears perked up. Silverstream was trying to talk to _him?_

"Don't talk," He told her, "Save your strength."

"You can talk later," Graystripe assured her, but Fireheart thought he was more trying to convince himself of that than her.

"I tried…Fireheart…"

Silverstream's body shuddered with her final exhale. Then, she lay still.

He had heard cats say that death looks peaceful. Silverstream was covered in scratches, a few particularly long and deep ones down her throat, and her body lay in a puddle of blood.

This was not peace.

"Silverstream?" Graystripe asked quietly, as if he was afraid of the silence that would inevitably follow. "Silverstream?"

When he received no answer, he let out a heart-wrenching yowl.

_Please, Graystripe, _He thought to himself, but could not bring himself to interrupt the gray tom's grieving. _Quiet down, before someone comes looking._

"She can't have died," He wailed, head bent over her body. "She couldn't have!"

Fireheart felt his own heart twisting as Graystripe spoke. He never would have wished this on Silverstream, he never would have wanted Graystripe's forbidden love, no matter how much he had wanted it to end, to end this way.

"Why?" He turned his yellow eyes on Fireheart. "Why, Fireheart? She was going to have my kits. Why her?"

Fireheart froze. What? How? When had this happened?

"Wh-what?" He sputtered, unable to keep his shock to himself.

"It isn't fair," He went on. "They're dying. They're all dying…"

How could you possibly comfort a cat who had lost his mate and kits?

"They would have been so beautiful," Graystripe continued. "Just like her…"

Fireheart merely stood there, with nowhere to go. He didn't know how to comfort his friend, but he could never leave him like this. He had a plan, but it seemed so heartless to make Graystripe help him in his condition.

He took a few steps forward, and hesitantly, he placed his tail tip on the tom's shoulder.

"I'm so sorry." It was all he knew to say.

Fireheart allowed his friend a few more moments, before he spoke again.

"I'm sorry, Graystripe," He repeated. "But we can't stay here."

"I can't leave her," His head rose. "I won't."

"We can't leave her here," He began. "or RiverClan might think -"

Graystripe suddenly hissed, cutting him off.

"That someone from ThunderClan killed her?" He growled. "Someone did, Fireheart, don't you see? Someone from ThunderClan killed her!"

"We don't know that," Fireheart tried to calm him down, deeply regretting his choice of words. "Just -"

"Of course we do!" He snapped. "She was killed on our side of the border!"

"Graystripe, please, just think for a second -"

"Thinking won't get me anywhere!" He cried. "I need to act! I'll kill whoever it was! I'll rip them to pieces!"

"We don't _know _who it was!" Fireheart countered. "Believe me, when we figure this out, I won't stop you. Until then, I need to you calm down!"

Still glaring at him, the gray tom fell silent, breathing heavy with anger and pain. Fireheart forced himself not to stare at the body, and continued.

"What do you want, Graystripe?" He knew he was taking a risk, allowing his grief-stricken friend to decide, but he was going to do it anyway. "Leave her body here, for a RiverClan patrol to find, or move her somewhere else?"

After a second of thought, he answered.

"Leave her," He said, though it sounded as if the words pained him to say. "I hope a patrol finds her; and I hope they take her straight to Crookedstar. I hope RiverClan attacks us. Because someone," He turned his bright eyes on Fireheart, and he could feel all of Graystripe's rage and sadness just by looking at them. "I might not know who, but _someone_ in this Clan deserves to die."_

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_

Reviews are appreciated - and they pressure me to update faster =D [which always works].


	7. Exposed

Wow, it feels like I haven't updated this in awhile. Sorry about that...writer's block is an awful thing. It was bound to happen soon; it was all coming to me way too easily.

**Disclaimer; I don't own Warriors, but I wish I owned Sunrise [as in, I wish I could buy it]. Warnings; Nothing you haven't seen from me before. **

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Fireheart didn't know what to do for his friend. How were you supposed to comfort a cat who had lost their mate, and their kits, all in one blow? On top of his losses, Graystripe was convinced that a ThunderClan cat had done it, and the thought was one that Fireheart feared could damage his loyalty. The two of them had returned to camp, and Graystripe, with much persuasion on Fireheart's part, was concealing his grief quite convincingly.

"Where did you two run off to?" Darkstripe hissed, clearly unhappy that he and Graystripe had ignored his calls earlier. "We are here to guard the camp, not to run off like clueless apprentices!"

"I'm sorry, Darkstripe," he managed the words with some difficulty. "Graystripe thought he had scented something near the ShadowClan border, so we went to check." He didn't want to give Darkstripe any clues to where they had really been.

"Well?" He snapped. "Did you spot anything?"

"No," He answered, unable to keep a hint of irritation out of his voice, "or we would have alerted camp by now."

Darkstripe narrowed his eyes, but turned and headed back towards the warrior's den, where he had been previously. As he did, Cinderpaw emerged from the medicine den, and caught sight of Fireheart. Blue eyes widening for a second, she hobbled over as quickly as her leg allowed.

"What happened?" She whispered excitedly, "What's -"

"Sh!" He hushed her, glancing towards where Darkstripe was still watching. "I can't tell you yet, or it'll look suspicious. Go back to the medicine den; I'll come see you later."

Cinderpaw's tail drooped a little, but she didn't seem like she was going to let it affect her for long.

"Alright," She meowed. "But if you don't tell me soon, I'm just going to ask Graystripe instead."

"No!" He burst, visibly surprising Cinderpaw. Lowering his voice, he went on. "Don't ask Graystripe. I'll explain later, Cinderpaw, but don't ask Graystripe."

"Oh," Cinderpaw said quietly, clearly confused. "Okay. I won't."

Cinderpaw - most likely only being so cooperative due to her confusion - obediently headed back towards the medicine den. As Fireheart watched her go, he couldn't help but wonder what really had happened to Silverstream. _Perhaps Spottedleaf will be able to help me…_

"Fireheart!"

His ears pricked immidiately towards the sound, and he turned to face who was calling him. Seconds later, a ginger form charged into camp, panting heavily.

"Sandpaw?" He asked, wondering what she was doing back so soon from the Gathering.

"It's not true, is it, Fireheart?" She asked quickly, emerald eyes questioning him. "It isn't true?"

"What are you talking about, Sandpaw?" He asked, honestly lost.

"Tigerclaw," She caught her breath and continued, "he disappeared from the Gathering for awhile, and when he came back, he said he had an announcement. It isn't true, is it?"

"What do you mean?" He repeated, becoming slightly worried. What was she talking about? If Tigerclaw was involved, it couldn't be good…

"He said you killed Crookedstar's daughter," She explained, getting slightly quieter. Fireheart's eyes widened with shock, but they only grew wider when she revealed Tigerclaw's next statement. "Because Graystripe was sneaking off to see her."

_"What?"_ His jaw gaped, and the weight of what Sandpaw had said quickly began to sink in. Tigerclaw knew. He knew Graystripe's greatest secret, one that Fireheart thought had ended with Silverstream's life.

"It isn't true, Fireheart," She went on, a concerned look on her face. "You don't love Graystripe, do you?"

If Fireheart's eyes could have gotten any bigger at that point, they would have. His jaw was already gaping, and nothing could express his surprise more than what he did next; backing up a few pawsteps. He realized that his move was a mistake only after he had done it, as Sandpaw's look of concern turned to one of shock.

"It is true," She murmured.

"What are you doing back, Sandpaw?" Darkstripe growled, stalking towards them. "The Gathering isn't over yet; I don't see Bluestar or the rest of the Clan. Do either of you have any -"

Fireheart wasn't listening to Darkstripe, and from the looks of it, neither was Sandpaw. Her eyes were still scanning him, with an expression of only shock. He didn't know what to expect from her, now that she knew his secret.

"Well?" Darkstripe looked back and forth from them both, and then landed on Sandpaw permanently. "What do you have to say?"

"I had an important message for Fireheart," She said, pulling her gaze away from him and facing Darkstripe. "I'm not quite finished delivering it, Darkstripe, and it's Bluestar's orders. Excuse us."

Without another word, Sandpaw got up and headed towards him, walking quickly past.

"Coming, Fireheart?"

If she was forcing that calmness into her voice, she was doing it very well.

"Yes," He said, more stiffly. He turned and hurried after her, ignoring Darkstripe's grumblings from behind them.

"You have to go," Sandpaw instructed, not looking at him as she spoke. "Now."

"What?" He asked.

"You have to go," She repeated. "They're coming for you."

"I didn't kill Silverstream."

Sandpaw looked up. "How do you know her name?"

Fireheart hadn't thought of that. Silverstream was not a leader, or a deputy, or even a medicine cat. Even when cats from different Clans spoke at Gatherings, they didn't usual exchange names. Fireheart only knew the names of cats not from ThunderClan from overhearing other cats say them. Besides, he had only been to two Gatherings before; there was no reason for him to know her.

"I…" He might have been able to cover his tracks, if he had thought fast enough, but Fireheart's mind was already spinning with the realization that both he and Graystripe's secrets had been exposed. He drew a blank.

"RiverClan is coming for you. There are ThunderClan cats, too."

"I didn't kill her, Sandpaw," He tried to reassure her. He had no time to think about who was coming for him, or for what reason; he had to get Sandpaw to believe him. Somebody had to be able to explain the truth to Graystripe, and to Cinderpaw. "You have to believe that."

"But you don't deny being in love with a tom."

Fireheart opened his mouth to respond, but could find no words to explain himself. He held Sandpaw's stare for a moment longer, and then turned and ran. Her expression gnawed at his mind as he raced through the forest; it was one he was familiar with. He had given Graystripe that same look many times, but the tom had never noticed. Her face, just as his had each time Graystripe had left to see Silverstream, sent a clear message.

_Why can't you love me instead?_

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Review! They make for faster updates; no lie.


	8. Explanations

Another update, and pretty fast too =D It seems I've fully recovered from writer's block!

**Disclaimer; If I owned Warriors, there would be slash pairings. **

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Cinderpaw had been waiting in the medicine den, just as Fireheart had said, but had been unable to remain there once the rest of ThunderClan had returned. The commotion outside had caught her attention immidiately. As she limped from the den, she caught sight of the entire scene. Most cats were speaking in groups, conversing loudly. Others weaved through the Clan, and at the front of the mass, nearest to Bluestar's den, were Tigerclaw and Bluestar.

_What's going on?_

"Yellowfang?" Cinderpaw spotted her mentor, who was speaking with Runningwind and Smallear. "Is something - ?"

"Quiet, Cinderpaw," Yellowfang snapped, clearly in a bad mood. "This is ridiculous; has anyone bothered to speak with Fireheart himself?"

"He hasn't been seen," Runningwind explained. "I think he's run off."

"Good," Smallear rasped. "From what I hear, the Clan is better off without him."

"For what reason?" Yellowfang hissed. "What wrong has he ever done you?"

"It's not me he's done wrong to," Smallear carried on. "It's StarClan. Have you ever heard of such things? Murder, and that's not all!"

"_Murder?"_ Cinderpaw couldn't help but cut in with her own comment. Yellowfang glanced at her quickly, but her irritation seemed directed at the elderly tom than her.

"Don't listen to him, Cinderpaw," She said curtly. "I'll give you the _truth, _later." She glared at Smallear with the word 'truth'.

Cinderpaw was growing tired of waiting for explanations. At this rate, she was about to ignore Fireheart's request and ask Graystripe what was going on anyway; she wasn't going to sit in the dark forever. Suddenly, she was tapped on the shoulder, and she turned her head to find Brackenpaw there, his head tipped to one side in a questioning manner.

"Have you heard?" He whispered. She shook her head, and he motioned with his tail for her to follow him. He led her into the medicine den, and they settled nearby where she usually slept.

"Crookedstar's daughter is dead," He began, "They -"

"Silverstream?" She cut in.

"Yes," He patiently went on, "they think Fireheart did it."

"Who would believe that?" Cinderpaw asked, skeptical. Fireheart, committing murder? It sounded ridiculous to her. "Do they even have any proof?"

"Apparently, lots of cats." He replied. "As for proof; I don't know. Tigerclaw had Silverstream's body, though. He disappeared for awhile, and then came running back to the Gathering, yowling about how he'd found a body lying by the RiverClan border. A few RiverClan cats and Longtail went to see, and they brought back her body."

"That doesn't mean anything," Cinderpaw denied. Fireheart wouldn't do that, she knew he wouldn't. "Anyone could have killed Silverstream. Maybe nobody killed her. Maybe it was an accident."

"There were claw marks all over her, Cinderpaw," Brackenpaw explained. "She _was _murdered. I don't know if I believe that it was Fireheart, but she was murdered."

A yowl from outside startled them both, and they turned towards the entrance of the den. Bluestar was calling from the Highrock, summoning the Clan.

_Maybe I can get the truth now._

The two apprentices headed outside to where the Clan was gathering. They were all looking up to Bluestar expectantly; clearly, Cinderpaw was not the only one waiting for answers.

"Cats of ThunderClan," Their leader began, "we have all heard the rumors of what occurred at this night's Gathering. However, to those of you that were not there to witness it, or to those of you that are still unsure of the full story, I plan to set things straight."

"It's about time," Yellowfang settled down beside her, growling quietly. "_Some _cats of this Clan will believe anything but the truth."

"During the Gathering, one of our apprentices thought it would be a good idea to sneak away."

Cinderpaw immidiately began to wonder who it had been. Not her brother, she knew that much, so that left only Sandpaw, Dustpaw, and Swiftpaw. She scanned the clearing for the apprentices, but spotted only Swiftpaw, who's face held an expression of curiosity, not guilt or embarrassment. She doubted it was him.

"Tigerclaw spotted this apprentice and followed him, but by the time he caught up they were already at the RiverClan border."

"Tigerclaw must have been really slow," Cinderpaw couldn't resist commenting. "He couldn't catch an apprentice for that long?"

"Well, there were lots of other cats there," Brackenpaw pointed out, "maybe they were in the way."

Cinderpaw shrugged.

"There they found the body of Crookedstar's daughter, Silverstream. However, that was not all they found," Bluestar closed her eyes for a moment, and then went on, "Fireheart was found at the scene as well…and it is believed that he killed Silverstream. We are not at war with RiverClan, and even if Fireheart had been defending our borders, there was no reason for the brutal death Silverstream suffered. Especially on the night of a Gathering, when all four Clans should be under truce, according to the warrior code."

The Clan erupted into whispers and mutterings, some in disagreement, but more in surprise.

"I wish to StarClan that I could defend Fireheart," she said, and Cinderpaw believed her. Her eyes were filled with regret and guilt. "But all evidence points towards him. He fled the scene, and Darkstripe reported to me that he had spotted Fireheart running from camp earlier. Furthermore, shreds of Fireheart's fur were found between Silverstream's claws."

Yellowfang was shaking her head, and Cinderpaw found herself denying the story just as outwardly. There had to be some sort of mistake.

"There is another matter that I must address as well," She went on, and Cinderpaw wondered what else there could possibly be to tell. "I have been informed that the reasoning for this murder can be traced back to a cat in our Clan. Graystripe, will you please come forward?"

Cinderpaw watched as the tom stepped forward, looking nervous.

"I expect an honest answer from you, Graystripe," Bluestar warned, looking down on her warrior. "Were you seeing Silverstream, even against the warrior code?"

It seemed as if the Clan held it's breath collectively, waiting for his answer.

"Yes," He said at last, and Cinderpaw let out a quiet gasp. "I love h - loved her, Bluestar, and I cannot deny that."

Bluestar merely closed her eyes for a moment and sighed, before her gaze rested on him once again. She signaled for silence, and the whisperings among the Clan stopped.

"I am not going to banish you, Graystripe" She said, "You have always been a loyal warrior to ThunderClan, and have served your Clan well. However, I must warn you, if I see that loyalty begin to sway any further…"

"You won't, Bluestar," Graystripe said confidently, but as he opened his mouth to say more, a call from the crowd cut him off.

"How can you trust him?" It was Darkstripe, sneering from the back of the group. "He has already shown that loyalty to ThunderClan means nothing to him!"

"I have made my decision," Bluestar declared, "any cat who disagrees may speak with me in private. However, I have not yet explained how this relates to Fireheart."

There was still more to tell? What could possibly come next?

"Just before she died, Silverstream revealed something to Tigerclaw. Graystripe was already breaking the warrior code in seeing Silverstream, and Fireheart killed her out of jealousy."

More whispers, more shocked faces. Someone else spoke up; Cinderpaw's own mother, Frostfur.

"Are you saying that Fireheart…he _loved _Graystripe?"

Those who had already heard were shaking their heads, or chatting wildly with others about it. Cinderpaw was too surprised to do either.

"What is the matter with you all?" Yellowfang suddenly yowled. "You're speaking like Fireheart is dead! He may not be here with us, but that is no reason to speak of him like he is dead to us!"

"Silence!"

All turned to face Bluestar.

"Graystripe," She looked back to the gray warrior, who's eyes had been lowered to the ground, wide and surprised, "you are confined to the camp until further notice. All patrols, if you catch sight or scent of Fireheart, you are to report to me immidiately. I would like him brought back to the Clan - _unharmed." _She seemed to add it as an afterthought, as if it hadn't occurred to her beforehand that some cats may think of harming the tom if they found him.

As the Clan dispersed, Cinderpaw felt lost. What was she supposed to do? What _could _she do? Fireheart was somewhere in the forest, probably confused and feeling just as lost as she did. He was her former mentor, her friend; she had faith that he had not hurt Silverstream.

However, she hardly knew what to believe when it came to Fireheart's feelings for Graystripe.

* * *

If the switch in POV threw you off, or if you weren't a fan for whatever reason; sorry. It had to happen for the story to progress, seeing as I had to somehow add in what happened at camp before telling about Fireheart again, and he obviously isn't there to explain.

Reviewers keep me updating.


	9. Planning

This chapter is short...for that, I'm sorry. The next chapter is already finished and will be up within the next few days, once it's been edited. It's quite a bit longer than this one, too.

**Disclaimer; I do not own Warriors, as I always don't.**

* * *

It was hard for Fireheart to imagine how this place had felt to him before; like a second home. Back when he had been a kittypet, he had visited this yard almost every day. It was only a short walk from his old Twoleg home, and back then, that had been the farthest from his Twolegs that he ventured.

Fortunately for Fireheart, though the place itself felt alien, the cat living here did not. Smudge was the same cat he had always been, though he was now considerably rounder and lazier.

"Thanks again, Smudge," Fireheart said, staring off into the forest. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"You're welcome to my yard anytime, Fireheart," Smudge purred, lying in the grass, half-asleep.

He really didn't know what he would have done, if it hadn't been for Smudge. He had ran until he had reached Tallpines, and stopped to think of where he could go. His first thought had been Ravenpaw and Barley, but the barn was too far. He would have to travel back through the heart of ThunderClan territory, and then even further, through WindClan lands as well. It was a journey he wasn't willing to make, especially when it had already been dark for some time by then. By the time he would have reached WindClan territory, a dawn patrol would be out.

Staring off into the forest made him feel like a kittypet again, wondering what the forest held for him. Before it had been filled with promise and adventure. Now, all Fireheart saw in it was danger.

_I wonder what's happening at camp. _He thought to himself. _I wonder if Graystripe is alright…and Sandpaw. _

It was Sandpaw's actions that he had thought about most, out of all the things that had happened. She had felt compelled to run ahead and warn him, had not allowed rumors to get in the way of helping him. Why? They had talked more than ever recently, but still, what had brought about this sudden change of heart? On top of that, the look she had given him as he had turned to leave…

Fireheart sighed and settled into the grass. There was no point in dwelling on questions that he couldn't answer. If anything, he needed to speak to Sandpaw about such things, and that wasn't an option anymore.

Closing his eyes, Fireheart drifted into a restless sleep.

---

Every stare was dripping with anger, betrayal, and loathing; and they were all staring at him.

What did they expect him to do? He wasn't going to apologize for falling in love.

"I wonder where Fireheart is," Mousefur was quietly talking with Speckletail.

"Who cares?" The old she-cat snorted. "I've never heard of such things in my life. A tom in love with another tom? The Clan is better off without problems like _that."_

Graystripe resisted the urge to hiss at the elderly queen. He wasn't apologizing for falling in love; _especially _to cats that spoke about his friend like that.

Graystripe had his own opinion about the rumors, and that was that they were all a heap of crowfood. He knew for a fact that Fireheart had nothing to do with the death of Silverstream, but no one would believe him; he wasn't to be trusted, according to most cats of the Clan. As for the second part of the story…well, Graystripe wasn't exactly sure what to think, other than to say he wasn't going to believe he anything he didn't hear from Fireheart himself.

Although, at the current time, he wasn't going to be hearing much of anything from Fireheart. Nobody seemed to know where he was.

"We need another cat for morning patrol," Tigerclaw was delegating morning duties, as always. Only now, Graystripe wasn't allowed to participate. ThunderClan was short two warriors, not just one.

"Graystripe."

His ears perked, and he didn't move for a moment, unsure who the voice could be. He hadn't spoken civilly with anyone since Bluestar had called the meeting the day before; since then, he had been mostly on his own. Who could possibly want to speak with him?

"Graystripe!"

When the voice called a second time, he recognized it. His eyes rested on the medicine den, where Yellowfang was standing, looking grouchy.

"About time." She hissed. "Well? What are you waiting for?"

Not wanting to irritate the cranky old cat further, he hurried over and into the den, where Cinderpaw was sorting herbs.

"To the back."

Graystripe wondered briefly what Yellowfang wanted, but obeyed. Once he was as far as possible from the entrance, he sat, Yellowfang across from him.

"Cinderpaw," She rasped, "if anyone enters -"

"I know," The gray apprentice said, continuing to organize.

Yellowfang shot an impatient glance at her apprentice, but quickly faced back to Graystripe.

"Now," She began, "there's a lot of work to be done around here, and not much time to talk. Do you know where Fireheart is?"

He shook his head.

"You must have some idea."

Graystripe thought for a moment, and did indeed have ideas. However, whether he wanted to share them with Yellowfang or not was a different story.

"If you don't," she didn't wait for a reply, "I expect you to come up with one soon."

"Wait, why?" He asked, confused. He wasn't allowed out of camp, so how was he going to be of any help?

"From what I hear," Yellowfang said, "you've had quite a bit of experience sneaking out of camp. Once more shouldn't be too much trouble, now should it?"

Cinderpaw had stopped sorting herbs and was now limping over to join the conversation. She looked up at him with determined eyes. The look on her face reminded him a lot of how Yellowfang often looked; he didn't see either of these she-cats giving him the chance to decline their offer.

"You're Fireheart's best friend, Graystripe," She said. "If anyone can find him, it's you."

"She's right," The old she-cat muttered, and Graystripe knew their words were true. No one else knew Fireheart better than he did, and he had a fairly good idea of where his friend had gone.

"Of course I'll do it," He agreed, and Cinderpaw gave a small purr of joy. _Fireheart would do the same for me._

"All you need to do is tell me when," Yellowfang instructed, "and Cinderpaw and I will be ready to cover your tracks. You'll only have one night, at most. Cats will notice you're gone in the morning."

"Then I'll go tonight." He said. A feeling of determination filled him at the thought of making his escape. He was going to find Fireheart, and together, they would sort this out once and for all.

* * *

-Sigh-

Such a short chapter. As you can probably tell, I'm not all that happy with it. The next chapter is substantially better, though - it should be up later tommorow, or early the next day. Reviews are appreciated, as always.


	10. Failure

Well, I'm a lot more pleased with this chapter than the last one. More importantly, from the looks of things, 'Distorted Reality' is going to be even longer than 'Survive' ended up being, and I hadn't planned on this fic being that long to begin with. I don't remember who it was, but one of my reviewers asked if I had ever considered writing a Fire/Gray story. I planned on making this a really short thing, but I just keep falling deeper into my own plot.

Regardless, I'll stop now. On with the chapter!

**Disclaimer; I have never claimed to own Warriors, and I never will.**

* * *

The smell of prey was fresh in his nostrils, the feeling of leaping towards his catch and finishing it off, the taste of fresh-kill between his jaws. All of these things were fresh in his mind as he carefully crept towards the unsuspecting mouse…

"Fireheart!"

His heart dropped as the mouse quickly scurried off, frightened by the sudden yowl. His stomach let out a growl of protest as he padded back towards Smudge's yard, away from the bounties of the forest.

"Smudge," Fireheart sighed, forcing himself to let it slide. Smudge was a kittypet; he didn't realize that when Fireheart said he was going hunting, he would also require silence. "You scared off my prey again."

"Oh, did I?" Smudge asked from his perch on the fence. "Sorry, Fireheart. You know, you could always have a bit of my food, if you'd like. You're welcome to anything here."

Fireheart really did appreciate the offer, but the thought of settling for kittypet food made his stomach turn. He was perfectly capable of hunting his own meals; if only Smudge would stop interrupting.

"I called you because there's someone I'd like you to meet," He said, then disappeared into his yard. Fireheart soon joined him on the other side of the fence, where Smudge was, accompanied by another cat.

"This is Princess." Smudge introduced. "She lives a couple yards over, with her Twolegs."

"Nice to meet you," Princess greeted. For some reason, she seemed familiar to Fireheart.

"Fireheart's a forest cat," Smudge went on, and Princess' eyes widened with surprise. "Though he used to live in a yard nearby."

"A forest cat?" She repeated. "I didn't know there really were cats living in the forest."

Fireheart would have put forth something about forest life at that point, or at least mentioned that yes, there were cats living in the forest, but he was too busy trying to place where he knew Princess from. He was _sure _that he had met her before, but where, he could not remember.

"Princess…" He began slowly, unsure if he should even bother to ask. Perhaps he had seen her a few times when he had been a kittypet, and that was why she seemed familiar. "Have we met?"

The tabby, instead of denying it like he had expected her to, regarded him carefully before answering.

"You seem familiar," She said, "but I don't think so."

So they both looked familiar to each other?

"Oh," He meowed, "you seemed familiar to me, too, that's all."

Smudge began talking again, and Princess was quickly distracted from the matter by conversation. Fireheart, however, was not so easily swayed from his thoughts. He _knew _that he knew this cat, even her scent was familiar to him, but for StarClan's sake, he couldn't remember meeting her before.

"Tell her about the forest, Fireheart," Smudge prodded suddenly, bringing Fireheart back to the conversation.

"Well, I used to live with my Twolegs, like Smudge said," He began uneasily, not really prepared to reveal too much about the Clans themselves to a kittypet he didn't even know. Well, at least he was fairly sure he didn't know her… "But I left to live in the forest. I met the cats living there, and they took me in, and gave me my Clan name."

"You mean your name wasn't always Fireheart?" She inquired.

"No." He answered. "When I was a kittypet, my name was Rusty. The Clans -"

"Rusty?" Princess asked, as if she hadn't heard. "That's what your name was?"

He nodded, and was about to continue on when she interupted again.

"I had a littermate named Rusty," Princess told him, her eyes widening a little.

That was it! He knew she was right. Princess had seemed familiar, yet he couldn't remember ever meeting her. Her scent was even familiar to him. She was his _sister!_

"You think Fireheart's your brother?" Smudge asked, looking a little confused. Even he seemed to understand what he and Princess were thinking.

"That's it," Fireheart confirmed.

There was a moment's silence before Princess spoke again.

"It's been such a long time, Rusty," She purred. "Or, Fireheart, now. I can't believe my brother is a forest cat!"

Fireheart was amused by her surprise, and for the first time since leaving ThunderClan, Fireheart felt comfortable.

"You'll have to stop by my yard soon," She went on. "Smudge will show you where it is, won't you, Smudge?"

"Of course," The tom replied, looking back from Fireheart to Princess.

"I have to go, but I hope to see you soon, Fireheart," She said, getting up and heading towards the fence connecting Smudge's yard to another. "Goodbye; and you too, Smudge."

As Fireheart watched her go, he noticed the roundness of her belly for the first time. Smudge, like most kittypets, was plump with constant and easy meals, but Princess' roundness looked different. Was it possible that his sister was expecting kits?

"My Twolegs will be calling me in to eat, soon," Smudge said. "I'll go inside, so they don't come looking for me and see you."

Fireheart nodded, and watched his friend walk towards the Twoleg nest. He appreciated Smudge's help, but he couldn't help thinking; perhaps now that Smudge was gone, he could finally catch a meal for himself.

---

The bitter taste of traveling herbs had faded from his mouth, yet Graystripe was starting to think that he should have requested more.

_I guess I didn't realize how far Barley's barn is…_

He had decided it would be easiest to travel along the large Thunderpath, since he knew it would eventually lead to the barn, and would keep him as far from WindClan territory as he could manage. However, the trip was taking him longer than expected, and he was growing increasingly concerned that he might not be back by morning. Once he reached the barn, he was going to need time to speak with Fireheart. Ravenpaw and Barley would probably want to know the story, so he'd have to speak with them, too. The journey back would take just as long, if not longer due to fatigue, as the journey there, so by the time he returned, it could be well into the morning.

Walking into camp midday was not exactly part of the plan; and if it came down to that, Graystripe knew that Yellowfang and Cinderpaw would be powerless to help him. However, the sight of the barn up ahead brought him hope that he would be back by morning. Breaking into a run, he reached his destination quickly and carefully stepped inside, looking around.

"Ravenpaw?" He called out. "Barley?"

"Who's that?"

The gruffness of the voice startled him, but when he spotted Barley sitting on a nearby pile of hay, he relaxed.

"Graypaw!" Ravenpaw's voice called out, and he looked up to find the black tom perched in the rafters. He hurried down to greet his friend.

"What brings you here?" Ravenpaw purred, clearly happy to see him. Graystripe wished he could share that excitement, and would have, had the circumstances been different.

"I came looking for Fireheart," He said quickly, looking around. "Has he come here?"

"Oh, of course!" Ravenpaw said, and Graystripe immidiately felt a sense of relief. However, it quickly died as he realized what Ravenpaw really meant. "You two have your warrior names now. Fireheart and…?"

"Graystripe," He informed, "but he hasn't been here? You haven't noticed his scent anywhere, either?"

"No," Ravenpaw answered, looking concerned, "is something wrong?"

"Yeah," He muttered, disheartened that he had come such a long way for nothing. Where else would Fireheart have gone? He had been _sure _that he would find his friend here. "It's a long story."

"Is he missing?"

"Yeah," He said again, "we don't know where he went, only that he left. If you see him, will you let me know somehow?"

Graystripe felt a little bad asking such a journey of his friend. If Ravenpaw caught scent of Fireheart, or spotted him, he would have to travel all the way into ThunderClan territory to let him know...and possibly face Tigerclaw again.

"Of course," He nodded, "you can stay here for the night, if you want. You look tired."

"I can't, sorry," He explained. "I really shouldn't even be here…I thought for sure I'd find Fireheart here."

"I'll be sure to let you know if I see him."

"Have a mouse or two before you go, will you?" Barley spoke up. "You look worn out."

A mouse sounded like just what he needed, but he hesitated to spend too long lounging. However, it was an offer he really couldn't afford to pass up, seeing as around camp nowadays, he got the worst pickings from the fresh-kill pile.

"Okay," He agreed, "thanks. I won't be long."

"Take as long as you want," Barley assured him, "you're a friend to us, Graystripe. Ask anything you need, and we'll be happy to help."

---

The eager she-cat kneaded the ground beneath her paws in anticipation, her anxiety stemming from both worry and excitement. If things had gone well, there would be two cats returning to ThunderClan tonight.

"Yellowfang," She meowed impatiently, "do you think -?"

"Quiet!" The elderly cat snapped. "I hear something."

Cinderpaw rolled her eyes at the notion.

_Yellowfang's so old, I doubt she could hear anything before I did. _She thought to herself humorously. However, moments later, she heard the sound of pawsteps approaching.

_She was right! Something _is _coming!_

Moments later, Cinderpaw watched as a single gray tom emerged from the bracken, looking worn. Yellowfang hissed.

"Where is he?"

"Not there," Graystripe said quietly, "I have no idea where he would have went…"

Cinderpaw's hope began to fade. Her former mentor, and most importantly her friend, was still missing. The three of them had failed in their efforts to bring him home.

_Fireheart, where are you?_

* * *

Feedback is always helpful!


	11. Cornered

This chapter's longer than the last, which makes me happy =D Let me know what you think of all this POV nonsense - it's very spontaneous, I know, but there's really no other way I can think of for me to progress the story, while sharing what's happening on all sides.

**Disclaimer; Warriors is not mine. Never will be.**

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"You don't think he would have, do you?"

"It's very possible," Yellowfang rasped, "not permanently, of course."

"What if it is permanent?" Cinderpaw said with fear.

"No, he wouldn't," Graystripe shook his head. "Fireheart's a Clan cat, he would never be happy as a kittypet again."

Yet, as much as Graystripe said this, he wasn't sure it was true. He knew Fireheart was a Clan cat at heart; he had even been one before he had entered the forest. It wasn't in his blood, but it didn't need to be. He had proven that. Secretly, he was sure they all feared it, not just Cinderpaw. What if Fireheart had gone back with his Twolegs? Or any Twolegs? What if he had decided his forest life was already ruined beyond repair, and was going back to his kittypet life?

Graystripe wasn't sure that Clan life was worth it, if he had to live it alone.

"Maybe we can check," Cinderpaw piped up. "Maybe that's where we'll find him!"

Yellowfang hissed and batted her over the head with sheathed claws. Cinderpaw winced, but her eyes were full of amusement.

"Sorry," She mumbled, "I'll be quieter now."

Graystripe was grateful for that; they were only in the medicine den. Any cat could walk inside and hear them, or even catch a few words of their conversation outside, if they got too loud.

"Well," Graystripe began, "I suppose I could go tonight. The last plan went well…"

"Except for coming back alone," Yellowfang said gruffly.

"Can I go, too?" Cinderpaw asked. "I want to help."

"You do enough as it is," Yellowfang answered. "You will certainly not be going."

"But I want to do more!"Cinderpaw pleaded. Graystripe noted the differences that seemed to appear in her more each day. Not too long ago, she would have whined for the chance to go on such a mission. However, now she merely spoke determinedly, pleading for the chance to prove that she could help more than she was being allowed.

"You do enough!" Yellowfang snapped. "Now quiet, or you can expect to be fetching herbs for me the rest of the day."

Cinderpaw fell into a disgruntled silence.

"I'll go tonight," He assured them.

Yellowfang sighed and turned away, padding towards an assortment of herbs. However, the short distance between them allowed Graystripe to catch her whisper.

"I only hope he's found, this time…"

---

Fireheart was seated beside his sister, enjoying a full belly and a wash. He drew his paw over his ear, listening to Princess talk about her upcoming litter.

"Is this your first?" He asked.

"No," She answered. "I had a litter once before…only one kit. My housefolk took her away."

"They took her from you?" He asked, concerned. He knew any Clan mother separated from her kits went wild with worry, and would never agree to anyone taking her kits away.

"Only after she was old enough." Princess said, but her words carried a hint of sadness. "I know they gave her a good home."

"Are you going to let them take these kits from you, too?"

"I…" She trailed off, and then started again. "I don't have any other choice. They can't stay here, or my housefolk would have kept my first kit. They will have good homes, though; I know my housefolk will make sure of that."

Fireheart didn't know what to say. He objected to the idea…but it wasn't his decision. If Princess wanted her kits to have good homes with Twolegs, he would just have to accept it.

Fireheart jumped when he heard a Twoleg cry from near it's nest. Even though Princess had assured him he had nothing to fear, he still could not bring himself to feel comfortable around her them. He forced himself to remain calm, but lost all composure when he heard the sound of a dog barking, and raced to the top of the nearby fence.

"Don't worry," She insisted. "They don't let the dog around me, since I'll be kitting soon."

Fireheart couldn't understand it. She was not only going to give her kits away to her Twolegs, but she was living with a dog, as well?

"I'll come back later, Princess," He told her, jumping down the other side of the fence.

"Goodbye!"

Fireheart began making his way back towards Smudge's yard. He had spent the last few nights at Princess' garden, discussing her unborn kits and the few memories they shared, from when they had been kits themselves. He had still not explained to her why he had left the Clans, and all she knew was that there had been a misunderstanding, and he was caught in the middle.

"Good morning, Smudge," He greeted, and the pudgy tom rolled over to greet him.

"Hello, Fireheart," He said. "Over at Princess' again?"

He nodded. "We talked about her kits…do all Twolegs take kits away from their mothers?"

"Sometimes," Smudge shrugged, as if it mattered little to him. "But not too young, and they usually get good homes. Why?"

"I was curious," He answered simply. Apparently his guess had been right; the subject didn't bother Smudge much.

"Oh," He sat up abruptly. "I almost forgot. Some cat came looking for you last night."

"What?" He immidiately felt alert. A cat from the Clans, maybe? But depending on who the cat was, this could be good or bad news. "Who?"

"I don't know," He said. "He didn't give a name. He looked like a forest cat, though, and I saw him go into the forest when he left."

"What did he look like?"

"Well," Smudge thought for a moment. "His pelt was long and gray, with stripes. He had these yellow eyes, too. He asked for you, but when I said you weren't here, he left."

_Graystripe,_ Fireheart's heart lifted. _Great StarClan…Graystripe's looking for me. Which means he's alright!_

"Did you tell him he can find me here?" Fireheart asked urgently, hoping for a certain answer.

To his dismay, Smudge shook his head. "I didn't want to go and give you away, Fireheart. After all, didn't you say you couldn't go back into the forest?"

Fireheart couldn't blame Smudge. That was what he had said, and the round tom had meant well. He had thought he was protecting Fireheart from the dangers of the forest. Fireheart tried to think positively. What if it had been Tigerclaw who had come looking for him? He would have thanked Smudge for not giving him away.

"Thanks, Smudge," He said, despite wishing Graystripe knew that he had been to the right place. "But I'm pretty sure the cat you met isn't going to cause any trouble for me."

He needed to find Graystripe…but he didn't know how. He couldn't go waltzing into camp asking for him. However, if he could just run into the right cat, he could possibly work out a plan.

_I need to search around for a patrol._ He decided. _If Graystripe or Sandpaw are part of it, I'll just have to let them know I'm here, and everything else should fall into place…_

But dawn patrol had been hours ago. There would be a patrol sometime during the day, but Fireheart wasn't sure when it would be. However, he could be sure when the evening patrol would head out, and he would be lying in wait when it did.

---

_Come on…I know they'll have to pass this way…_

Fireheart was crouched in the sparse bushes near the ShadowClan border. The scent of the nearby Thunderpath hid all indication that he was there, so as long as he remained quiet and still, he was sure that he would not be spotted.

_Where is the patrol?_

Moments after he silently wondered this, he heard voices in the distance. He ducked lower and curled his tail against his body.

"We have our orders, Darkstripe; we patrol, and then head back to camp."

_Darkstripe!_ He inwardly hissed. He knew fairly certain he knew the voice, too. If he was right, he would soon be seeing Dustpaw.

"I know that!" The older tom growled. "Have you forgotten who is in charge, here? Not only that, but I am your _mentor_."

"You were the one who brought up that kittypet and his friend."

Fireheart's claws flexed. They were talking about him!

"You can't blame me for wanting to get my claws into his fur," The black tom hissed, and the two stepped into view. "Bluestar went far too easy on that traitor."

Dustpaw didn't say anything, but the look on his face told Fireheart that he agreed.

Fireheart was getting nervous. What if they found him? There wasn't a lot of cover here; this had been a bad idea to begin with.

"Look around, Dustpaw," Darkstripe's tone took more mentor-like quality. He sat, and curled his tail around his paws, as if he expected his apprentice to take awhile. "I want a description of everything you see and smell."

Dustpaw paused and opened his jaws, and Fireheart knew he was drinking in every scent around him. Fireheart closed his eyes, praying he wouldn't be found.

"Thunderpath," He wrinkled his nose.

"Try harder than that," Darkstripe snapped, "there's more out here to be found than a simple _Thunderpath_."

Darkstripe didn't know how right he was.

"I don't smell much ShadowClan scent," Dustpaw said, "so I don't think there's been any trespassers. There's no prey around here -"

"Why?"

"- because of the Thunderpath. The noise of a passing monster would scare away most forest prey, but if a monster hadn't been by in awhile, you'd have a chance."

Darkstripe watched his apprentice with a scrutinizing gaze, but it seemed to ease after he successfully answered the question. He closed his eyes for a moment, and Fireheart realized he was checking the area himself, breathing in the scents. Dustpaw was probably going to have his assessment soon, and Fireheart guessed that was why Darkstripe was being so critical.

Then again, the dark tom had never been a friendly cat. Maybe he always mentored this way.

When Darkstripe opened his eyes, he looked around carefully. Fireheart's breath caught - he was looking for something.

"Try again, Dustpaw," He instructed, getting to his paws. "I believe you've missed something."

Fireheart could do nothing as the cat began walking slowly, carefully around the area. He couldn't run - fear could lead him anywhere, and unless he was careful, he could run into a hunting patrol, or end up too close to camp. Besides, he wasn't about to lead these two back to his current home, or Princess' yard. The only place he could go where they would not follow would be another Clan's territory, and he pictured that only causing more problems for himself.

"Did you find something particular?" Dustpaw asked after a moment. "I don't smell anything."

"Start looking around," Darkstripe ordered. "We may very well have a trespasser."

Dustpaw's ears perked up, and clearly his interest had been piqued. He began a careful search of the area, just as his mentor was doing.

_StarClan, please don't let them find me._

Darkstripe passed by slowly, just barely missing his hiding spot. Fireheart held his breath, and waited for him to get far enough away. As soon as he felt he could, he sighed with relief.

He hadn't noticed that Dustpaw was searching just behind him.

"Did you hear that?"

"What?" Darkstripe's head snapped up.

"I'm not sure. Something around here."

Now they were both focused on his little area of hiding. Fireheart's mind began to race. Could he get a big enough head start if he took off? Where could he go? Could he fight them off, a senior warrior and an apprentice at the end of his training? If he ran now, could he race up a nearby tree? What good would it do him, when they could easily follow up after him? There were so many possibilities, so many outcomes. If he made the wrong decision, the consequences could be severe.

Then, when he felt like he could bear the wait no longer, he made his choice.

He would run.

* * *

Somewhat of a cliffhanger! And another fairly quick update. Hopefully I can get out the next one just as quickly.


	12. Found

Wow...I have no comments. Surprising.

**Disclaimer; I still don't own it! Must you rub it in?!**

* * *

Taking off as quickly as he could, he sprinted straight ahead, running blind. It didn't matter where he went, anyway. He wasn't bound by ThunderClan borders now.

"It's Fireheart!" He heard Dustpaw shout. Darkstripe never responded, but he could feel someone close behind him. Darkstripe must have taken off as soon as he had spotted him, because the dark tom was closing in fast.

"Run all you like, kittypet!" He hissed. "_I _will be the one to bring you back to Tigerclaw!"

Fireheart veered off to the side, hoping to throw Darkstripe off his trail. From the sound behind him, his attempt had failed. Suddenly, he was tackled to the ground, the momentum from their running sending the two cats spiraling forward, a mass of fur and claws. When they came to a stop, Darkstripe had him pinned.

"You're lucky ," Darkstripe sneered. "If Tigerclaw didn't want you alive, I'd finish you off myself."

"If only you could," Fireheart returned, thrusting his hind paws into the tom's sensitive underbelly. He leapt away, and lunged again. His claws grazed Fireheart's ears, but he ducked in time to avoid any real injury.

The two toms were so caught up in battle that they didn't realize their dangerous location. In their scuffle, they had rolled onto the side of the Thunderpath, and the humming of an approaching monster fell on deaf ears.

"I can't wait until Tigerclaw does away with you," Darkstripe hissed hatefully, "you've caused enough problems around ThunderClan. Once kittypet-hearted cats like _you _are finally out of the way, I'll have a real leader to follow!"

_A real leader? _Fireheart thought quickly. _He can't mean -?_

The sudden roar of a monster broke off his thoughts. Dustpaw's voice suddenly cut through the fight.

"_Run!"_

Fireheart had almost no time to react. Darkstripe let out a startled yowl and ran one way, while Fireheart darted in the other direction. He noticed that he was running straight towards Dustpaw, and veered off to the side just in time to avoid a collision. The other tom was too busy watching the scene unfold to bother chasing after him. The sound of the monster screeching rang through his ears, and he had to pause for a moment, turning to see what had happened. The monster had left a dark trail where it's black paws had traveled, and Darkstripe was wide-eyed, standing just between the trails, his fur standing on end. He had been mouse-lengths away from death.

Fireheart didn't have time to revel on how lucky Darkstripe was. He turned and fled, not stopping again until he reached Smudge's yard.

---

_A mouse-brained idea…an absolutely mouse-brained idea…_

Fireheart couldn't believe his own foolishness. He couldn't just spy on a ThunderClan patrol and expect to get away with it! Or perhaps he could have, had the patrol consisted of other cats. If only _Sandpaw _had been on the patrol! He was fairly certain that the news of Graystripe's relationship with Silverstream was keeping him off patrols, at the least. But he could have at least managed to see Sandpaw…

In hindsight, the plan had been doomed to fail. Out of all the cats in ThunderClan, the chances that he would see the _one_ he happened to be looking for on patrol at the _exact _time he wanted her to be there were incredibly slim. He should have seen that.

"Are you sure you're alright, Fireheart?" Smudge asked again. "Your ears are scratched."

Fireheart had to remind himself more than ever that Smudge didn't think like a Clan cat, and wasn't aware of the hardships of battle. Fireheart hadn't given his ears a second thought until Smudge had brought them up, and now he wouldn't stop. The scratches were minor, something Fireheart could shove to the back of his mind and forget about easily. Smudge saw them as an injury, one that he, being a kittypet, probably would have yowled to his Twolegs about.

"I'm fine, I promise," He assured the other tom. "Just a scratch."

"Does that happen often in the forest?" He asked. "Cats attacking each other?"

Fireheart had explained the situation to Smudge when he had returned, who had been appalled that Fireheart had been involved in a fight.

"It happens," Fireheart answered absent-mindedly. "Don't worry about me, I'm fine."

Fireheart settled into the soft grass, relaxing. He had nothing to worry about, so long as he stayed put. He was safe.

---

_Gathering herbs…_apprentices _should gather herbs for us…_

Cinderpaw could imagine her mentor's response to that.

"_You _are _an apprentice! A lazy one, at that!"_

_All the same, _Cinderpaw thought, _she shouldn't have me do exercises, and then _still _have to gather herbs. _

Her leg ached from all the movement, but Yellowfang insisted it was good for her.

"You found him?"

Cinderpaw paused. Who was that?

"Yes," Another voice said, "during Dustpaw's last patrol before his assessment. He was hiding in the bushes, and ran once we had him cornered."

"Well?" The first voice hissed. "Is there a reason _I _have yet to see him?"

"There was a monster, Tigerclaw."

Tigerclaw? And Cinderpaw knew this third voice immidiately; Dustpaw.

"And? The two of you seem perfectly unharmed. Do tell me you didn't chase _him _into it's path?"

"No, he is unharmed as well," The voice, Darkstripe, she was certain, assured him. "But I have information you should be quite happy to hear."

"Well?" Tigerclaw snapped. "Out with it!"

"I've _found _him. Where he's hiding. I could lead you there at a moment's notice."

"_We _found it," Cinderpaw heard Dustpaw quietly hiss. She wished desperately that she could climb one of the trees surrounding her; she felt far too close to this conversation, and had nowhere to hide. Slowly, she began to back away, hoping she would be able to be able to slip away unheard. Her plan worked, and as the conversation died from her ears, she heard the faint sound of the three cats moving away.

Now that she was safe, she felt it acceptable to grow excited. She wasn't sure who the three had been talking about, but she was guessing it was Fireheart. Which meant that he had been found, and maybe he would be brought back to ThunderClan soon. There were cats that believed the rumors and didn't like him for it, but Cinderpaw was sure that Bluestar would pass fair judgment, after hearing Fireheart's side of the story.

After all, Tigerclaw had seemed concerned about the monster situation that Darkstripe had reported; or at least concerned enough to ask if Fireheart was okay. Well, he hadn't _exactly_ asked that, but…

In any case, Cinderpaw was optimistic. Tigerclaw was the deputy, he would handle things. Darkstripe wasn't one of Fireheart's friends, but she was sure he would do what Tigerclaw said. Dustpaw would listen to them both, as an apprentice.

Yes, Cinderpaw was sure everything would turn out just fine.

---

Something woke Fireheart. He wasn't sure what; a noise, perhaps. Whatever it was, Fireheart raised his head and looked around.

Smudge had gone inside for the night, and Fireheart had perched himself on a low branch of a tree for some sleep. Cautiously, leapt down and surveyed the yard. Nothing seemed out of place, yet he still felt uneasy.

That was when he caught wind of it; ThunderClan scent. Fresh ThunderClan scent, in _Smudge's yard._

"Graystripe?" He called out, hope rising in his chest. "Are you there?"

Maybe he had decided to try again, even after his unsuccessful first attempt. Or maybe he was just wandering, wondering where Fireheart could be. Maybe he had been _exiled…_

_No, _Fireheart shook his head. _No, he's alright. He hasn't been exiled. Bluestar wouldn't do that, even after finding out about he and Silverstream._

Maybe it wasn't Graystripe at all. Perhaps a Twoleg had let out their dog in the next yard over, and the ThunderClan scent was just from his earlier trip into the territory. The possibilities were endless.

Just as Fireheart was about to turn and head back up the tree, he heard a voice.

"Well…it looks like Darkstripe was right. I'll have to remember to reward him for this; after all, I've been _dying_ to see you again."

* * *

And the plot thickens! Cinderpaw remains blissfully unaware of the danger Fireheart's really in. Indeed, this story is going to end up longer than 'Survive'...though how much longer I'm not sure. I'm estimating...at least five.

Reviews are always greatly appreciated.


	13. Attacked

Thanks to everyone who reviewed recently! Last chapter, a few chapters back, it doesn't matter. I got a bunch today [yes, the five or six I got are a bunch. _I _sure think so, anyway] and they inspired me to keep up my constant updating and get this chapter out as soon as possible.

**Dislclaimer; Warriors isn't mine...or there would be slash. Lots of slash.**

* * *

Fireheart didn't know what to do, where to go. Even what to say. Words, actions, everything failed him. This was not supposed to happen. He was simply _not _supposed to be found here. This was his safe haven, a reprieve from the dangerous forest. Tigerclaw had no right to find him here.

Yet, he still knew that what he felt held no real meaning. Tigerclaw was here, and all of Fireheart's wishing would not get him to leave.

"You seem a surprised, Fireheart," Tigerclaw meowed, his voice full of amusement. He was _amused _by this. Fireheart's plight, having to flee his own Clan, running back to a kittypet friend, being cut off and alienated from his Clanmates; it was all a game to him. "Were you so certain that you were safe here? You're only a few fox-lengths from the forest…did you really think that sheltering with a kittypet would keep you from being found?"

Yes. He had truly thought that he was safe. Clearly, he had been mistaken.

"How did you find me?" He growled, finally finding his words.

"Darkstripe can be clever, when he really tries," Tigerclaw explained, more humor dancing in his eyes. He was clearly pleased. "I've heard you had a run-in with him. It was easy for he and his apprentice to track you, once you had run back to your Twolegs."

_Fox-dung! _He mentally cursed. _I thought that being nearly struck by a _monster _would give me enough time to run back unfollowed…how did I not think about tracking?_

"This really has been fun, Fireheart," Tigerclaw flexed his claws with excitement, "but I'm afraid all good things must come to an end. I enjoyed the chase…you've been my biggest challenge yet."

"What are you talking about?" Fireheart demanded, suspecting the worst. If he was right, Tigerclaw was referring to Redtail, and perhaps he had even more victims. He was about to confess to everything Fireheart had suspected him of.

"It's all been too easy," Tigerclaw went on, ignoring him. "so I'm expecting a fight, and I hope you don't disappoint me. After all, if you don't make it out of this one, who's going to save your dear little Graystripe?"

Fireheart's entire body stiffened.

"You won't hurt Graystripe," He growled in a commanding tone.

"Oh, Fireheart, I don't think you really want to put that past me," Fireheart almost felt sick thinking about how entertained he was by all of this; or thinking about what he really might do to Graystripe, if he got the chance. "Besides, you've always been suspicious of me. You seem to expect the worst; who's to say what I will and won't do?" He was circling him now, and Fireheart felt the impending danger closing in on him. "Just like that old apprentice of mine, you stick your nose where it doesn't belong...I never got the chance to get rid of him, but I have _you _to deal with now."

Fireheart heard something near the fence, and glanced that way. However, what he saw made him stare. Darkstripe, Dustpaw, and Longtail were perched atop the fence, all watching the scene with different expressions. Darkstripe was standing, teeth bared like he was ready to enter the fight himself, once it began. Dustpaw had a simple expression; he didn't appear to be feeling anything at all. Longtail was stony-faced as well, but his eyes betrayed the slightest bit of fear.

"Darkstripe!" Tigerclaw called. "I talked about rewarding you, and I'll give it to you now. Let's see if you can finish off the great _Fireheart _yourself."

Darkstripe let out an excited hiss and leapt from his place on the fence. Fireheart wasted no time meeting him across the yard, and the two crashed into battle. Fireheart slashed at Darkstripe, but the dark tom leapt to the side and delivered a hit of his own. Shaking it off, he jumped straight onto the tom's back, shredding what he could. Darkstripe let out a yowl and twisted, raking his claws across Fireheart's right side. He leapt away, turning back just in time to see Darkstripe coming at him with another attack.

"Make it quick, Darkstripe," Tigerclaw commanded from where he sat, his tail folded neatly around his paws, as if he were watching an apprentice train.

Darkstripe, heeding his orders, began to speed up his attacks. Fireheart kept up, but wasn't getting in many attacks of his own. He only had time to dodge before Darkstripe lashed out again.

"Longtail!" Tigerclaw snapped. "Help finish him off. We are to make this little trip _short, _aren't we, Darkstripe?"

Darkstripe seemed to grow more frustrated with every comment from Tigerclaw. It was clear to Fireheart that he was trying desperately to impress the tabby tom, to no avail.

Longtail took his time entering the fray. However, once he did, Fireheart felt claws raking down his sides, pulling him in. Darkstripe took advantage of this moment of helplessness and clawed him across the face several times.

"Fireheart!"

Fireheart thrashed, managing to slip free of Longtail's hold and dart to the side, gathering himself and preparing for another attack. When the cry reached his ears, his heart immidiately dropped.

"Smudge, go back inside!" He called frantically. "Get away!"

"Yes, _kittypet," _He heard Tigerclaw sneer. "Go curl up with your Twolegs or I'll be forced to get you out of the way."

He met Darkstripe in another clash of claws, trying to focus on the fight and not his friend. However, Smudge's safety distracted him, and in an instant that he looked over to make sure the pudgy tom was not being attacked, Darkstripe tackled him to the ground, pinning him just as he had before. However, before he had time to throw the tom off, he brutally clawed him across his exposed underbelly.

"Fire-!"

"I told you to get out of the way!" Tigerclaw snapped, and Fireheart heard a yowl from Smudge. Desperately wanting to see, but unable to free himself, he let out a long yowl, hoping his plan would work.

"Crying for your Twolegs, kittypet?" Darkstripe sneered.

"Dustpaw, take care of this!"

Fireheart could hear Tigerclaw giving orders, and let out another wail. He might be able to hold his own against them, but even Dustpaw would be able to kill Smudge in a heartbeat.

"Cut that out!" Darkstripe hissed, batting his across the muzzle with his claws. Fireheart lashed out at the tom's belly, and he leapt away in pain. However, Longtail was there to pick up where he had left off, and Fireheart was hit by the other tom, the two of them rolling across grass and smacking into the other fence.

Then, Fireheart heard what he had been waiting for.

Longtail darted out of the bush they had landed in, hurrying away from the Twoleg that was now shouting at the edge of it's nest. Darkstripe looked towards Tigerclaw, and he nodded and they fled. Dustpaw glanced up at the Twoleg with fear and dislike before taking off after the group.

Fireheart stayed still, gathering his breath in the safety of the bush he was in. When the Twoleg went back inside, he saw Smudge emerge from his own hiding place across the yard.

"Fireheart?"

Fireheart got to his paws and carefully limped from the bush, panting heavily. He thanked StarClan that the Twolegs had heard him; Fireheart didn't want to put it past Tigerclaw to murder a kittypet who didn't even know how to fight.

_Unfair fight. _He thought. _Two on one, and attacking a kittypet…_

"Fireheart!" Smudge cried, eyes widening with horror. Fireheart could only imagine how he looked.

"Are you okay, Smudge?" He panted.

"I'm fine," He assured him, "Just a scratch, see?" He had three scratches across his foreleg, but they were hardly even bleeding. Compared to Fireheart's wounds, Smudge was starting to see how minimal some injuries could be.

Fireheart, unable to keep himself standing anymore, collapsed onto the grass. Smudge looked on with an expression of horror.

"What can I do, Fireheart?" He asked. "Isn't there something you do when cats were attacked in the forest?"

"Medicine cats…" Fireheart mumbled. StarClan, he was tired. He hadn't been able to hunt a decent meal in awhile, since entering the forest made him jumpy and nervous. The fight had taken all of his energy, and now he really just wanted to sleep. "Can't do anything…"

"There must be something," Smudge insisted.

All Fireheart knew about medicine were that cobwebs stopped bleeding. He was bleeding badly, he knew that, but he didn't know where to find cobwebs.

"Cobwebs…" He managed. "Don't know where, but cobwebs…for bleeding."

Smudge hurried off and over the nearest fence, Fireheart suspected he was going to get help from Princess. He wished he could help, but even thinking felt like it took too much out of him. Without his control, his eyes slowly shut, and he drifted into a state of unconsciousness.

---

_Cinderpaw…_

_Cinderpaw…!_

The young medicine cat jolted awake, the voice scaring her out of sleep. However, her wide eyes revealed to her that she was not in her den, or even in the forest that she knew.

_Cinderpaw, can you hear me?_

"Y-yes," She said, trying to hide how confused she felt. "Who are you? Is this…StarClan speaking to me?"

_Just one cat of StarClan. We never met in life, but I know that you will not fail in the task I have for you._

"What is it?" She asked, standing up and searching around for this StarClan cat. "I'll do my best, whatever it is."

_Your friend is in danger, Cinderpaw. You are the only one who can save him._

"Who?" She asked, heart beating faster. Who was in danger? Why would she be the only one who could save him? She was an apprentice, and a crippled one at that.

_You must have faith that you can do this, Cinderpaw. Your age and your leg cannot stop you._

Cinderpaw felt herself grow embarrassed at the cat's words. How had they known what she had been thinking? She had wanted to look strong in front of StarClan, but she had already given away her fears.

_Fireheart does not have much time. _

"Fireheart?" She was suddenly alert. "Where is he? He's hurt?"

_Graystripe will know where to lead you. The home of the kittypet tom - he will understand. _

"What's wrong with Fireheart?" She asked again. "What do I need?"

_I am no medicine cat, but he is badly bleeding. He will not be awake when you find him, but he is not dead. You can save him, Cinderpaw; I know this._

"Can you tell me your name?" She asked, trying to sound humble and respectful to this StarClan cat. "So I can tell Fireheart who really saved him?"

_You must keep my identity secret, Cinderpaw. Tell only Fireheart, and only when peace returns to the forest. _

"I won't tell," She assured the StarClan cat. She would wait for the right time to tell Fireheart, and keep it from any other cat, if that's what she had to do.

_When you do, tell him I am sorry I could not keep my promises. Tell him that I tried._

Cinderpaw could almost feel the regret in the cat's voice. There was a moment's silence, and then a final sentence was whispered into her ear like wind.

_My name is Silverstream._

* * *

Ah! I have so much fun writing Tigerclaw. He's is so fantastically evil~!

Reviews appease Tigerclaw.


	14. Assistance

The plot continues~! [for once I have nothing to comment on?!]

**Disclaimer; It's quite obvious by now...if I owned Warriors, I'd be far too busy for fanfiction.**

* * *

"What do you mean, 'he's in danger'? We don't even know where he is!"

The gray tom was whispering harshly to a younger she-cat, who was just outside the medicine den, looking rushed.

"But that's just it," Cinderpaw said. "I know where he is! 'The home of the kittypet tom', that's what StarClan told me!"

Graystripe's mouth, which had been open and prepared to interrupt, promptly fell shut.

"StarClan told you that?" He asked in awe. "I talked to a kittypet tom a few nights ago, when I went looking!"

"Well, that's where he is!" She rushed quietly. "Now, hurry; I don't want to wake Yellowfang and we need to get the herbs quickly…"

Graystripe followed the apprentice into the den, where she began to gather things as fast as her limp would allow.

"Carry these," She shoved a few herbs towards him. "Marigold and thyme."

"What do those do?" He asked. "How do you even know what you need, you haven't seen him -"

"_StarClan_, Graystripe," She said, losing patience and sounding more like her mentor with every passing second. "If you don't trust me with this, you don't trust them."

That silenced him.

"I'll grab the cobwebs and a few poppy seeds," She said. "You have to lead me to wherever this kittypet tom lives. Hurry!"

Graystripe wasted no time. As soon as she had gathered up the last of their supplies, they hurried off, across camp and into the forest. He had to slow his pace for Cinderpaw, but she was clearly trying to go as fast as she could, and he admired her determination to keep up with him.

_She would have made a great warrior. _He thought to himself. _Especially with Fireheart as her mentor…_

Graystripe reminded himself to stay focused. He couldn't believe he had missed where Fireheart had been hiding! He had checked this exact place, if it was the right one, of course, and that kittypet had told him he had never heard of a 'Fireheart'. Then again, if the tom was sheltering him, he couldn't be too angry. If he was helping Fireheart, he was a friend of Graystripe's.

"Here," He mumbled through a mouthful of herbs, once they reached the fence. Cinderpaw was staring up the side with hopeless eyes, and it was only then that Graystripe realized a major problem. Cinderpaw dropped what she had been carrying.

"I can't climb."

Graystripe didn't know what to say. It was true; Cinderpaw would not be able to make it up the fence.

"You have to try," he said, placing his herbs beside her pile, "for Fireheart's sake."

She didn't look any more hopeful, but suddenly threw her front paws out in front of her and dragged her lower body upwards. Her good hind paw grabbed onto the fence and tried to push her up farther, but her progress was slow and frustrating. Soon after, she dropped back to the ground.

"It won't work," she hissed. "I can't get over."

"Let me go see if he's there," Graystripe offered, scaling the fence and peering over the other side. He scanned the yard, and his jaw nearly dropped when he spotted a flame-color cat, lying limp near a bush.

"Fireheart!" He called out, leaping down the other side. Cinderpaw said something he didn't quite catch, but he didn't have time to go and find out. He reached the other tom's side, and surveyed the damage. His eyes were closed, and he would have appeared to be sleeping, if he wasn't in such a sprawled out position. His body was covered with bleeding wounds, and tufts of fur were missing in places. Graystripe gently prodded him with a paw.

"Fireheart? It's Graystripe."

He got no response. Quickly he ran back to the fence and climbed to the top.

"He's here," he reported. "But he's bleeding. What are we going to do?"

"What did he say?" She called up.

"He's unconscious," Graystripe meowed back.

"Then we can't give him anything yet…" Cinderpaw looked away, mumbling to herself. Suddenly, she glanced back up. "Come down here!"

He leapt down obediently, willing to follow any instruction the medicine cat gave him.

"Take the cobwebs and bandage him as best you can, alright?"

"But I don't know how," He exclaimed. "What if I make him worse?"

"You can't," she assured him. "Cobwebs can't cause any more harm than what's already been done. Make sure they're tight enough to stop the bleeding, but not too tight." He began to climb back up the fence, cobwebs in his jaws. "And make sure you clean the wounds first!"

Just as Graystripe cleared the fence again, he spotted another cat approaching Fireheart's body. He immidiately hissed in warning; what if this cat had done this to Fireheart? What if there were more around here?

"Hey!" He cried through a mouthful of cobwebs. "Back off!"

The tabby hurried backwards, looking frightened. Now that he could really see her, she didn't look like anything more than a kittypet. He dropped the cobwebs beside his friend and looked back up at her.

"Who are you?"

"Princess," She stammered, "Please, I didn't mean -"

"Hey!"

_Another_ one? Graystripe needed to get to work. He didn't have time to chat with kittypets.

"Look, I'm sorry if this is your territory," he hurried. "But this is my friend, and I really -"

"Oh!" The black and white tom exclaimed. He looked familiar…Graystripe remembered him; the kittypet he had seen before, who had lied to him about Fireheart. Which meant that _he _was the kittypet tom StarClan had told Cinderpaw about. "Fireheart told me about you! I'm sorry about lying to you; I figured all the forest cats looking to find him were trouble."

Graystripe didn't answer, and instead spread out the cobwebs. Then he realized what help the kittypets could possibly be.

"Can you two help me?" He asked. "We need to clean Fireheart's wounds. I don't know how much time he has."

"Clean his wounds?" The tabby asked.

"Yes," Graystipe repeated, hoping they would work fast, so he could alert Cinderpaw of their help and then get to work.

She looked a little unsure, but for whatever reason, agreed. Soon, the two were taking care of that while Graystripe ran back to check up with Cinderpaw.

"What's going on?" She called up.

"These two kittypets are here," he explained. "One's been helping Fireheart all along, I think, and the second one doesn't seem to bad either. Once I get the cobwebs set, is there anything else we'll need to do?"

"Not tonight," she said, "but he's going to need more later. We'll have to come back once he's awake, and make sure his wounds don't get infected. I wish we could have found him when he was awake!" She suddenly burst. "It would have been best to give him thyme for shock…"

"He's going to be alright, though, right?"

"I won't know for sure until a few days have passed," Cinderpaw explained. "Yellowfang always says that time is the best medicine."

Graystripe hopped back down and hurried back to Fireheart. By now everything looked clean enough, and he began to apply the cobwebs. It was a slow process; he was really no good at it. But he had to try.

"I think that's good," Graystripe finally announced. "Or at least…good enough to stop the bleeding."

"As long as he'll be okay," The she-cat sighed, and Graystripe felt a little uneasy. Why did she care? She didn't know him.

"By the way; what are your names?" He asked.

"I'm Smudge," the tom answered. "I knew Fireheart back when he lived with his housefolk."

Housefolk. What a strange word for them.

"I'm Princess," the tabby introduced. "I'm Fireheart's sister."

"His _sister?" _Graystripe wondered aloud. She nodded. "I didn't know he _had _a sister."

Somehow, he felt a little more comfortable with this cat, knowing she was Fireheart's littermate.

"Graystripe!"

He could hear Cinderpaw calling for him over the fence, and turned away to see her.

"Is that all you can do?" Princess asked.

"For now," he explained briefly. "We'll be back, though; me and my friend."

"Where's your friend?" Smudge asked. "Over the fence?"

He nodded, turning away again.

"Well, goodbye!" Princess called after him. "Thank you for helping! We'd be happy to meet your friend next time!"

_She'd be happy to meet you, too. _He thought. _If only she could _get _to you._

Graystripe pictured the two kittypets seeing a sight like Cinderpaw's leg. It hardly fazed him anymore, or the rest of the Clan. However, these were pampered, sheltered kittypets. They probably weren't expecting his friend to have a limp, lifeless leg dragging behind her.

"What are we going to do with those?" He pointed to the pile of unused herbs with his tail.

"Put them back," Cinderpaw shrugged. "We'll probably need a few of them over the next few nights."

"Are we coming back every night?"

"If you want Fireheart to heal, yes."

"Are we going to tell Yellowfang?" He asked. He didn't want to say it, but he couldn't help but think that she might be a little more helpful. Not that it was Cinderpaw's fault, but if they had a medicine cat with them that could get over the fence…

"No," She meowed quickly. "She'll never let me help. Besides, StarClan could have chosen her, but they didn't. They picked me."

As the younger cat limped away, Graystripe wondered, though he felt that it was cruel to, why they had.

* * *

Graystripe and Cinderpaw make a slightly unlikely, but reliable team. Or at least, _I _think so. They should have interacted more in the books.

Reviews = motivation.


	15. Invasion

**Disclaimer; Clearly, I will never own Warriors.**

* * *

His muscles ached and his stiff wounds pulled when he moved. Yet the knowledge that Graystripe had been the one to save him was a comfort.

"He said he'd be back," Smudge assured him. "He and his friend."

Fireheart wondered who the friend was. Maybe Sandpaw, or more plausibly, Yellowfang. Perhaps even Cinderpaw, though he doubted Yellowfang would allow her to stray so far from camp.

"We were so worried," Princess said, "if it wasn't for that forest cat…"

"Please, don't worry," Fireheart assured her. "I'm fine now. Besides, all that worrying can't be good for your kits."

Princess nodded, straightening up.

"You're right. There's no sense in thinking about those things; you're better now."

Fireheart nodded, settling back into his place behind a bush. He had managed to get up and walk a few steps towards the bush for cover, but not much farther. His stomach growled with hunger and his wounds ached, but all he could do was rest.

Distant Twoleg yowling reached his ears as he closed his eyes.

"My housefolk," Princess clarified. "I'll see you two soon."

"Goodbye, Princess." Smudge called.

Fireheart was already near sleep, but managed a quiet 'goodbye'.

---

Graystripe watched as the gray she-cat angrily paced, her dead leg dragging behind her.

"We _have _to go," she insisted. "We need to know if he's awake yet, and give him something for infection if he is. I still think thyme would be helpful, but…"

"Cinderpaw, we can't," Graystripe interupted. "How could we get past Sandstorm and Dustpelt?"

The ceremony had taken place earlier that day, and tonight was the perfect night for a vigil; newleaf was upon them, and the weather was warm with gentle breezes. Graystripe's own vigil hadn't been that long ago; side by side with Fireheart, they had watched over camp throughout the night.

"There has to be some way," she said determinedly. "What if…what if you made a distraction? We have to get to Fireheart somehow."

"There's two of them! What could possibly distract them both?" He asked.

"Well...we would have to put more thought into that part. But you could distract them, and I could hurry to get as far as possible. Then, you'd just make a run for it and follow me!"

"They'd catch our scent, Cinderpaw," he said. "Or at least mine. Who knows what Bluestar would do if she found out I was sneaking out of camp?"

"'Sneaking out of camp', I hear?"

Graystripe nearly jumped out of his fur at the voice.

_Fox-dung. _He thought frantically. _We're caught!_

"You're lucky," Sandstorm padded quietly into the den, whispering. Graystripe felt his irritation growing alongside worry. Why were they lucky? This wasn't good at _all, _as far as he was concerned. "I decided to come get _you." _She motioned towards him. "I was wondering why you weren't in the wariors den, and decided to go check it out. Now, what is this about Fireheart?"

"You've been eavesdropping," Cinderpaw growled, "and it's your warrior vigil! You're not supposed to talk."

"Yes," Sandstorm didn't even bother to deny it. "But that's not important. You two are lucky it was me listening and not Dustpelt. _I'll_ help you."

Graystripe blinked. "You - you'll help us?"

"That's what I said, isn't it?"

Cinderpaw looked optimistic. "You can help get us out of camp?"

Sandstorm nodded, but Graystripe still felt suspicious. "I'll distract Dustpelt for you. You'll have to be careful coming back, though; I can't keep him away for long."

"You'll really do it?" Cinderpaw asked excitedly.

"I've already said yes," Sandstorm assured. "Now, just wait until you don't see us anymore. You won't have much time."

She turned to leave, and Graystripe stood up abruptly.

"Wait," he said. "Why are you doing this? I thought you didn't even talk to Fireheart. Why does his safety matter so much to you?"

"From what hear," she said over her shoulder, "you were a little too preoccupied to keep track of _everyone _Fireheart talked to."

Though the comment rubbed Graystripe the wrong way, he didn't object as she padded from the den.

"Do you have everything?" He asked. Cinderpaw nodded, her mouth filled with various herbs.

Graystripe peered carefully outside the den, to see Sandstorm seated rather close to Dustpelt, whispering something in his ear. Abruptly, she stood up and playfully hurried away, turning back to make sure the tom was following.

_Clearly, the warrior vigil isn't as important as whatever Sandstorm told him, _Graystripe thought, unable to repress a snort.

"I bet that's why she helped us," Cinderpaw mumbled through a mouthful of herbs. "Sandstorm likes Dustpelt!"

Graystripe rolled his eyes at the apprentice, but reminded himself that they had to be serious. Sandstorm wasn't going to be able to keep Dustpelt away forever.

The pair hurried towards their destination, and Graystripe found himself growing hopeful. What if Fireheart was awake? It would be the first time he had spoken to his friend in far too long. However, they had only made it to the training hollow when something crashed into Grasytripe's side, sending him rolling across the sandy ground and into the grass nearby. He hopped to his paws, turning to face the offender.

"What are a couple of ThunderClan cats doing out at a time like this?" The dark tom sneered, and Graystripe's claws instinctively unsheathed. He knew that scent better than any ThunderClan cat did - this was a RiverClan warrior.

"I have a better question," Graystripe returned. "What's a RiverClan cat doing on ThunderClan territory?"

The cat's claws unsheathed, but he did not answer.

Graystripe eyed the nearby brush, and could hear the rustling of plants. This tom was not alone.

"Silverstream's death was something that shouldn't have happened," Graystripe growled determinedly, glancing over at Cinderpaw. The apprentice was staring at the RiverClan cat, mouth still full of herbs. "But Fireheart didn't kill her, no matter what you've heard."

"I'm surprised you haven't exacted any revenge of your own, _Graystripe," _he hissed, and Graystripe cursed inwardly. These cats, or at least the one he could see, recognized him. They knew he was Silverstream's former mate. "Didn't you supposedly love her?"

"I wouldn't waste my time," he snapped, "exacting revenge on an innocent cat."

"Defend him all you want," the tom said, "but it won't change a thing. Crookedstar ordered us to avenge Silverstream's death, and that is what I plan to do. _You _are as guilty for her death as the cat who killed her, and I won't allow you or your Clanmate to get away with it."

The tom lunged, and Graystripe ducked and darted beneath him.

"Cinderpaw!" He called to her before whipping around to face his opponent. "Run! Back to camp, warn Bluestar!"

The gray she-cat dropped the herbs she had been carrying and turned on her paws, obeying an order without question, for once.

"Don't bother," The tom hissed from where he was, as they circled one another, "your warning is a waste. My group and I are back-up; the rest of RiverClan has already reached your camp."

---

_StarClan, don't let us be too late._

They were. Sandstorm felt her heart drop as she charged into camp, Dustpelt by her side.

_Fox-dung! I never should have agreed to help; it could have been any other night! Why my warrior vigil?_

Sandstorm's hopes dropped even further when she spotted Tigerclaw perched atop the Highrock. He gave both she and Dustpelt a deliberate stare before leaping into the fray.

_These fools; they're looking for revenge in the wrong place. Fireheart isn't here!_

A cat leapt onto her back and she skillfully rolled to dislodge him. As the tom leapt away, she turned and slashed his flank, hissing with contempt. He spun around again and lunged for her, only to be knocked aside by Dustpelt. The brown tom chased off the RiverClan cat, and then turned back to face her, as if expecting some sort of praise.

"I can handle a fight myself, Dustpelt," she snapped, and the smug look on his face evaporated.

_I shouldn't have tricked him into leaving camp with me. _She thought. _Now he's going to be more persistant than ever._

The fight continued around her as she searched for an open opponent. Unlike Dustpelt, she preferred to leave cats already locked in battle to their own opponents. She liked fair fights; one on one. She soon found one, as a RiverClan she-cat hissed in warning and charged her. Sandstorm met her in a flurry of claws, and when they both leapt back for a moment, she spoke.

"Where is Fireheart?" She demanded.

"Like I'd tell you," Sandstorm shot back. "But I _will _tell you this; your Clan is looking for revenge in the wrong place. Fireheart isn't here."

The she-cat's face looked surprised for a moment, but it quickly morphed into anger.

"You lie."

Sandstorm didn't answer. RiverClan would realize their mistake by the battle's end.

* * *

Hopefully I didn't make RiverClan sound evil or anything. Crookedstar is just [obviously] grieving for his daughter and reacting like most fathers would; to get revenge, if possible. Since his warriors are equally upset over the death of a Clanmate, it just makes for quite an angry Clan all together.


	16. Journey

I planned on waiting a few days before putting this up, but...I just can't do that xD. When a chapter's done, it's done, and I can hardly wait a few hours to post it, let alone a few days. I don't like holding back on updating when I could just put them up. Quick updating is more my style.

**Dislciamer; I don't even own a copy of Sunrise, how could I possibly own Warriors?**

* * *

"He's letting us off?"

The shock Sandstorm felt transferred to her question. Dustpelt nodded.

"He's not going to tell Bluestar?"

He shook his head.

"_Why?"_

"Why does it matter?" He said, "He's letting us off, that's all that's important."

"Not really," Sandstorm insisted. "He's Clan deputy, what reason would he have for letting two new warriors off after skipping their vigil, _especially _the night when our Clan is attacked?"

"Who cares?" Dustpelt went on. "Just be happy that we're not getting reported. Bluestar probably wouldn't like her newest warriors getting into trouble _already_."

"Did anyone else see us missing?" She asked quietly. "Otherwise we might be reported anyway."

"One cat approached Tigerclaw, and he told them we alerted him of RiverClan and that he sent us to find any more of them sneaking around."

"Why?" She asked again, unable to understand. "I don't get it, Dustpelt. Why is he lying to everyone for _us? _Why are we so special?"

"Tigerclaw has his reasons," Dustpelt's answer held finality, as if he expected that to explain everything. He got up, but before he could leave, Sandstorm stopped him.

"What reasons?" She snapped. "Do you know?"

He remained silent.

"You do know!" she concluded angrily. "You know why he let us off and you won't tell me."

"No," he admitted. "You're right. I won't."

With that, Dustpelt walked around her and towards the fresh-kill pile to eat with Darkstripe, leaving Sandstorm to watch him go, her tail lashing indignantly.

---

Fireheart stretched carefully, not wanting to agitate his healing wounds. He was feeling better, but wasn't sure how his hunting would be. He was going to have to try, though. His last meal had been days ago and he hardly thought of anything but getting his jaws around a mouse or two.

"Fireheart, good news!"

His ears pricked, and he turned towards the sound. Smudge appeared from over the fence, looking happy.

"What is it?" He asked.

"Princess has had her kits!" He said. Fireheart instantly shared his good mood.

"Really?" He asked. "Have you seen them?"

"I went to go see her today, and she came outside to tell me," he explained. "I'm going to see them tonight; she doesn't want her housefolk to know that I'm there."

"You'll have to tell me about them," he said, "and tell her that I'll come visit as soon as I can."

"I will," Smudge assured him, and Fireheart walked stiffly past. "Where are you off to?"

"I'm going to try hunting," he explained.

"Don't starve yourself, Fireheart," Smudge warned. "I have a bowl big enough to share, you know."

Fireheart almost wanted to take Smudge up on that offer. Somehow, it was not only pride keeping him from eating kittypet food again, but fear. What if he fell back into the pattern of easy meals and calm, relaxing days? What if, even when the opportunity arose, he no longer wanted to return to the forest?

Fireheart reached the fence, the only obstacle between him and a forest full of prey. He leapt upwards and dug his claws into the wood, wincing as his muscles ached. Pushing the discomfort aside, he scaled one side and jumped down to the ground below.

Glad to be over his only obstacle, he padded carefully into the forest, ears pricked for the sound of prey.

---

Sandstorm settled near the fresh-kill pile, tearing into a thrush. She wished that her long night's rest felt more deserved; getting away with abandoning her vigil still didn't sit right with her. She almost wished that the Clan knew about it, so she could feel their scorn and get it over with.

_If only there was someone I could at least talk to about it,_ she mused. _I'd feel better then. Dustpelt won't tell me what he knows, and since Fireheart's gone…_

She bit into her prey. The situation was so frustrating.

"Sandstorm?"

She felt a tail-tip touch her shoulder, and glanced to see who it was. Behind her stood Cinderpaw, large, blue eyes holding her stare.

"Oh," she said. "Hey, Cinderpaw."

The gray she-cat sat down beside her and grabbed herself a vole.

"I have a favor to ask you," she mumbled, and at first Sandstorm didn't catch what she said.

"What?"

"Sh!" She warned, "We have to be quiet."

Moving slowly in her confusion, she bent downwards and bit into her prey, waiting for more explanation.

"I need you to do me a favor," Cinderpaw went on, looking casual enough to fool any cat that saw them. Her voice, however, was quiet and secretive. "I need you to deliver herbs to Fireheart."

_Fireheart!_

"I tried to get Graystripe to ask you," she continued, "but he thinks you won't do it."

Sandstorm rolled her eyes. No matter how obvious she made it that she was willing to help, that mouse-brain wasn't going to believe her. Or at least, not until she proved herself.

"When?"She asked, and Cinderpaw got up, licking her jaws.

"Come with me," she meowed, voice returning to her normal volume while she turned and limped off towards her den. "I need to give you something first."

Sandstorm got up and abandoned her half-eaten thrush without a second thought. As they entered the den, she caught the eye of Yellowfang, who glared at her for a moment before turning to Cinderpaw.

"Is there a problem?" She asked, and her voice sounded as irritated as she looked.

"Sandstorm has a belly ache, that's all," Cinderpaw responded casually, her mentor's harshness clearly rolling off her like rain. "I'm just getting her something for it."

The elderly cat turned back to where she had been sifting through herbs, satisfied with the answer. Cinderpaw led her to the very back of the den, grabbing a few herbs from nearby.

"Take this, the root will cure you in no time," she shoved a few towards her, and Sandstorm picked them up in her mouth, and Cinderpaw, after a glance back at her mentor leaned in and whispered the real instructions. "The leaves are what you want. Chew them up; you put them on infected wounds."

_Ugh, chew them? _Sandstorm thought, unpleasantly, of how they would taste.

"Graystripe can tell you where Fireheart is." She finished, getting to her paws and turning back towards her mentor.

"Do you need any help, Yellowfang?"

Sandstorm headed for the exit, turning back just before leaving.

"Cinderpaw?"

The she-cat looked up, her head tipped in a questioning manner.

"Thanks."

She laughed slightly. "I'm just doing my job."

---

Graystripe had done his best to tell Sandstorm where to find Fireheart, and she had quickly dismissed herself to go 'hunting'. She was going to have to remember to catch something on the way back, or her Clan would either suspect that she had lied or just think her an incompetent warrior. As far as Sandstorm was concerned, neither of those options were acceptable.

Getting as close as she was to Twolegplace felt strange. It was almost like it had been engraved into her mind since kithood that this was a forbidden area, where no real warrior tread for long.

_Well, there's a very real warrior here now, _Sandstorm thought to herself. _And he's been here far too long._

She winced when a drop of rain landed on the bridge of her muzzle, and she looked up at the darkening sky with displeasure.

_Can't you hold off for just a little while? _She complained inwardly. _At least until I get back home?_

Picking up the pace, she came across a large fence, proving that she had made it to, or at least, _close _to the right place. Hopping up to the top of the obstacle, she stared into the yard below. A black tom was padding away from her, heading towards it's Twoleg nest.

"Wait!" She called out through a mouthful of herbs. Leaping down the other side of the fence, she set them in the grass to allow her to speak clearly. "Have you seen -"

The tom stared at her for a moment, blue eyes widening, and then took off towards the Twoleg nest. Clearly, she had startled the cat.

"Wait, don't run!" She called after him. "I only want to ask you something!"

The tom didn't even glance back. Sandstorm, who's patience was growing thinner as the weather worsened, rolled her eyes and sprinted after the kittypet. She barreled into him, making sure to keep her claws sheathed and to not put all her weight into it. The tom's large eyes stared up at her from where he lay, looking scared but completely unharmed.

"Please," he began, "I just want to get out of this rain -"

"You're not the only one," she interupted. "All I wanted to do was ask you a simple question. What in StarClan's name did you _think_ I was going to do? _Eat _you?"

The tom didn't relax at all. "I've heard about forest cats, awful stories. I don't want any trouble, just to go inside with my housefolk."

_Housefolk? _She thought. _He must mean his Twolegs. _

"Answer one question for me," she began, "and then I'll leave, and I'll never have to bother you again. Have you seen a cat named Fireheart?"

The black tom thought for a moment. "I-I've never seen him, but a she-cat nearby is always talking about a cat named Fireheart."

"Where can I find her?"

"She lives in that yard," he motioned with his tail to the Twoleg nest just beside his, "but she probably won't be out today. She just had kits."

Sandstorm didn't care if she had just been hit by a monster; she was _going_ to see this cat. The rain was still only slight, but the wind continued to pick up in intensity.

She let the him up, turning and hurrying back to where she had set the herbs. As she grabbed them, she realized she had never thanked the skittish cat. However, when she turned back to do so, he was already gone.

* * *

Reviews...ah, screw it. Everyone already knows.


	17. Meeting

This chapter is...short. I'm sorry about that. Truly. But it had to happen. The next one will make up for it, I promise.

By the way, I just joined the Warriors Roleplaying Forum as a ShadowClan kit. It's really active, from what I've seen, which is one of the most important things when it comes to roleplaying forums. Anyone care to join?

**Disclaimer; I do not own. Anything. Not even my own house. So how could I own Warriors?**

* * *

Fireheart was returning from another hunting trip, though he had only been successful in finding a rather small mouse. He had already devoured it, and was just clearing the fence when he heard a commotion.

"Get away from there! She's just had her kits, don't you get it? Leave her alone!"

Smudge's voice reached his ears, and Fireheart imidaitely heard the anger in it. He had never really seen Smudge angry. He had seen him frightened, as when Tigerclaw had threatened him, and had seen him worried and desperate to help, like after the battle, when Fireheart had been gravely injured; but never had he ever shown any anger.

Fireheart hurried towards the sound, scaling several fences to get to the source, ignoring the tugging ache he felt in his closing wounds. When he arrived at it, Smudge was perched on the fence to Princess' yard, yowling a the top of his lungs.

"Just wait until her housefolk come outside! They'll teach you!"

"Smudge, who are you yelling at?" He called up at the black and white tom from where he stood.

"Some she-cat is harassing Princess!" He explained, and Fireheart quickly hurried up to take a look. Smudge was right, a cat was scratching at the flap Princess used to get in and out of her Twolegs' nest. Her ginger fur was slightly damp with rain, and her green eyes were glowing with irritation.

Fireheart's eyes widened.

"Sandpaw!"

His cry caught the attention of the she-cat, and she turned towards him. The frustration he had seen on her face moments before melted away, and he jumped down to greet her.

"Great StarClan, Fireheart!" She hurried towards him. "I though I'd never find you!"

"What are you doing here?" He asked quickly. "There's nothing wrong, is there?"

"Only that you're _here, _and not at ThunderClan camp where you belong. How can you stand it here?" She looked around with disdain. "There's fences everywhere and it's absolutely full of mouse-brained kittypets."

Fireheart repressed a chuckle at her comments. Smudge had caught up with them, and was still staring her down with a look of dislike.

"Cinderpaw sent me here," she explained, and her eyes widened slightly as she examined him, "to give you herbs. I wasn't really sure why, but _this…_what in StarClan's name happened?"

"Nothing," he lied. He didn't want Sandstorm to know what had really occurred; he wasn't sure if he could trust her with the knowledge that her Clanmates had done this to him. After all, when she returned to camp, he didn't need her stirring anything up because of him. "Just an accident. They're almost healed, anway."

"They don't look almost healed."

"Where are the herbs?" He changed the subject. She eyed him suspiciously and padded over to a nearby tree, snatching something up and then returning to place it at his feet.

"Cinderpaw said to chew up the leaves and use it on your wounds," she explained. "I thought _I _was going to have to do it, but you seem well enough to heal yourself."

Fireheart chuckled, then commented sarcastically. "Thanks for the help."

"You had better mean that," she warned. "I've been out here in the rain for StarClan knows how long, with every mouse-brained kittypet around yowling at me." With this, she sent a meaningful glare at Smudge. Fireheart figured he had better difuse the situation before it got out of hand.

"Smudge only thought you were going to hurt our friend," he explained. "Right, Smudge?"

The black and white tom nodded, but his eyes still held suspicion. "If she's a friend of yours, Fireheart, then I suppose she can't mean any harm."

"A friend of yours lives here?" She asked, looking confused. Fireheart guessed that she was wondering how he managed to make friends with kittypets. He nodded, leaving out the fact that Princess was his sister. There were some things he just didn't want to explain to her.

"And by the way," she piped up, as if it was an afterthought. "It's not Sandpaw anymore. I've got my warrior name; Sandstorm."

"Oh," he meowed with surprise. "Congratulations."

_What else have I missed? _He thought to himself.

"Dustpelt's a warrior too, now," he noted that she sounded irritated as she said this.

"Did something happen?" He asked. "You sound annoyed with him."

"No, he's just a mouse-brained furball, that's all," she said, her eyes downcast and still holding that same, irritated look. Fireheart could tell that she was lying, but didn't press the matter.

_So we're both hiding things._

Suddenly, thunder boomed overhead, and the three of them all jumped with shock. Smudge poked Fireheart with his tail.

"I'm heading back to my housefolk," he said. "Are you coming?"

Fireheart knew he couldn't go. He didn't want Smudge to feel like he was going to be cast aside whenever a Clan cat came along, but he didn't know when he would see one of his Clanmates next. He planned to take advantage of this meeting.

"I'll meet up with you soon," he said, and the tom began to hurry towards his home.

"I was going to find out where you lived from this kittypet here," Sandstorm explained, flicking her tail towards Princess' Twolegs' nest. "Another kittypet told me she knew. But the Twolegs locked me out before I could get inside."

"You were going to go inside?" Fireheart was surprised. Sandstorm would be the last cat he could picture padding around inside a Twoleg nest.

"I was only going to poke my head in," she went on. "Call out and see if anyone answered. Then your friend came along and started yowling my ears off…"

"Smudge means well," he purred with amusement. "He didn't know."

"Well," She pushed the herbs she had dropped towards him with a forepaw. "I have to get going. I said I went hunting and so far I haven't caught a single thing. Someone's going to guess that I didn't really hunt, if I come back without anything."

"Wait," he said, not wanting to return to Smudge's yard. Against his better judgement, he wanted to go with Sandstorm, back to the forest, where he belonged. He didn't want to go back to Smudge's yard, where everything would be the same, dull routine of eat, sleep, and chat. He wanted to go back to his Clan.

Most importantly, his heart ached every time he thought Graystripe, who was so painfully within his reach, yet who he was unable to see or speak with.

"What?" She asked.

"I want to walk back with you," he explained. "Not the entire way, just…until we get to Tallpines, at least."

Sandstorm regarded him carefully.

"Alright," she settled. "Tallpines, but that's it. If we're caught, it'll be my fault for letting you come."

"We'll be fine," he assured her, and an idea struck him. "Do you think that once you get back to camp, you could tell Graystripe that I'm at Tallpines?" The look on her face, though it only lasted a minute, filled him with guilt. "And Cinderpaw? It's been so long since I've seen them."

His attempt to cover his tracks seemed to fail, as Sandstorm's response was dry and her mood seemed to plummet.

"Sure," she agreed, though she no longer had the joyful tone that she had been using just moments before. "I'll see what I can do."

Before starting off, Fireheart tucked the herbs away near the base of the tree in the yard. He would just grab them on his way back…once he had to return.

As the two set off, the soft rain came to an end. However, somewhere in the forest, lightning had just touched down, and a small bush was ablaze.

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Reviews get Fireheart to Graystripe faster.


	18. Inferno

You guys are either going to like the intensity of this chapter, or be quite upset with me.

That all depends on who your favorite characters are. -eek hint!-

**Disclaimer; I do not own Warriors.**

* * *

"We're here."

Fireheart felt himself wishing he could continue, walk right into ThunderClan camp without question, be welcomed back like any other cat. Yet he knew that would not happen. If he were to return, not only friends would be there for him to greet, but enemies as well.

"Thanks for everything, Sandstorm," he said, watching her as she stared ahead.

"It was nothing."

"Still," he insisted, "even before today, you've helped me when you didn't have to. You were the only one who warned me, that night of the Gathering."

"I wasn't going to sit back and see what happened," she snorted, "if the Clan got to you before I did."

She sounded a little callous, and he wondered briefly if she was thinking about his plan to meet with Graystripe. However, he was distracted from his thoughts by a strange scent, one that seemed to be swirling around the air. He shook his head quickly, dismissing the smell.

She took a few steps forward, preparing to leave, and then stopped.

"Fireheart, what is that?'

"What?" He asked.

"That scent."

"I don't know," he immidiately knew what she was referring to. "I've been smelling it too."

She parted her jaws slightly, and after a moment of silence, spoke.

"Is that…smoke?"

Fireheart felt a pang of worry in the pit of his stomach.

"Why would we smell smoke?"

"We wouldn't," she looked back towards ThunderClan camp's direction, "unless there's a fire nearby."

For a moment, the two stared in the direction of camp, eyes opened wide, searching for something that would prove them wrong. Fireheart spotted an orange glow in the distant trees, and was filled with horror.

"Fire," he murmured. Sandstorm took off without warning, heading full-speed towards the glowing forest. Fireheart stared blankly for a moment, and sprinted after her.

The closer they got, the thicker the air seemed to become. He could no longer ignore the scent of acrid smoke, flooding his nostrils and stinging at his eyes. After bursting through a large clump of bracken, the orange glow became real flame, fire lapping at their sides and climbing the trees above them. The sound of frantic yowling reached his ears, and for the first time in far too long, Fireheart heard the voices of his Clanmates.

Sandstorm suddenly whipped around and faced him, just before they burst into camp.

"Stay here!"

"What?" He choked.

"Stay here! I don't have time to argue, do _not _go into camp! Run from the flames, but don't go into camp!"

With that, she turned and slipped through the brush.

She had allowed him to travel all this way with her, only to deny him access _now? _Cats could be dying! His _Clanmates _could be dying!

Fireheart glanced around, catching sight of a branch yet to burn. He scaled the nearby tree and looked, keeping watch for anyone in need of help. He might be listening to her for now, but he would not hesitate to ignore Sandstorm's order if a cat was in need. ThunderClan cat's were scattered everywhere, Bluestar standing in the center of camp, shouting orders. Many cats had already gone, from the looks of it, but a few elders were still being helped from the camp, and he could see a a few other cats running around, checking dens and making sure camp was clear. Fireheart caught no sight of Graystripe, Cinderpaw, or even Yellowfang.

Fireheart glanced backwards, making sure the tree he was perched in was still safe, and not burning through. When he turned back, the camp was vacant, save for Bluestar, who seemed to be rechecking places that her warriors had assured her were empty.

Then, a shape emerged from the nearby bracken, coming into full view. Tigerclaw, returning from the direction his Clanmates had fled. Alarm spread through out Fireheart's body when the large tabby unsheathed his claws. He watched with widened eyes as the deputy broke into a run.

Dropping down from his post, Fireheart could watch no longer. Tigerclaw had just begun his sprint towards Bluestar when Fireheart burst through the foliage, crashing into the dark tom, letting out a yowl. The two tumbled towards the burning flames, and Tigerclaw managed to stop their rolling by falling abruptly to the side. Fireheart jumped to his feet, backing away quickly.

"Fireheart?" He heard Bluestar's shocked voice from behind him. "Tigerclaw? What is the meaning of this?"

"He was trying to sneak up on you!" Fireheart cried, never taking his eyes off the other tom. "I saw it!"

"Fireheart, what are you doing here? Both of you, we must leave -"

"Listen, Bluestar!" He cried again. "I need you to listen. Tigerclaw was going to kill you!"

Bluestar was silent. Tigerclaw, even more shockingly, said nothing to defend himself. Then, he did something that Fireheart could hardly fathom.

"Listen to him, Bluestar," he growled, "he's too much of a kittypet to lie to you."

Fireheart couldn't look away from Tigerclaw, lest he take advantage of the opportunity, but he could picture Bluestar's expression. What else could it hold but shock?

"I didn't expect to find you here, Fireheart," he suddenly broke the silence. "But a fool like you shouldn't be too much of a challenge."

"I was more than your two warriors could handle," he snapped in return. "If I'm such a fool, why couldn't Darkstripe and Longtail get rid of me when you asked them to?"

Suddenly, Bluestar whipped past him, tackling Tigerclaw to the ground. Even the normally calm tom looked surprised.

"You've been betraying me all along?" She hissed, "You're a _traitor_?"

Tigerclaw never answered, only thrust up with his back legs and sent Bluestar sprawling over the top of him. He rolled and got to his paws, then sent a daring glance at Fireheart before turning and running towards the still burning forest. Fireheart, determined to catch him, sprinted in pursuit. To his surprise, Tigerclaw leapt onto the trunk of a tree, scaling it quickly. Fireheart wasted no time in his chase, determined to climb as high as Tigerclaw would go.

"Fireheart!"

Bluestar was calling for him, but he could hardly hear her. He reached up and snagged Tigerclaw's back paw, which he kicked free and continued upwards. The top of the tree would come soon, and then he would have to face him.

"Fireheart," this time, the voice was much closer. Fireheart spared a look over his shoulder and found Bluestar not far behind, climbing after them. "We need to get back to the ground, imidiately. This tree -" The sound of something splitting cut her off. The base of the tree was aflame, and the fire climbed only higher, as if chasing them. The trunk was burning to the core, the charred layers splitting under the trees own weight. Above him, Tigerclaw had perched himself on a far branch, and was watching the sight below, looking intrigued. Fireheart quickly hurried to the nearest branch.

"Bluestar, hurry!" He called. "Up here, on the branch!"

"No," she shook her head, glancing back down at the ground, as if she was contemplating how to reach it. "It's safest down there!"

The splitting sound resonated through the air again, and slowly, the tree began to lurch. Tigerclaw was looking around frantically for an exit, as if he could escape to another tree nearby. They were all alight with fire, there was no hope for escape. Fireheart merely clung for dear life as the tree swayed again, claws digging into the bark as far as possible. The tree entered a final, spinnning descent, and he heard Bluestar yowl as it began plummeting towards the ground.

There was the sound of splitting bark and snapping branches as the tree smacked into the ground, Fireheart's head spinning with terror and panic. Time seemed to stop for a moment, until he realized he could still feel the bark under his paws, and smell the acrid smoke in the air. He wrenched his eyes open and found himself not only alive, but mostly unahrmed. The branch he had chosen was now protruding from the top of the fallen tree, leaving him shaken, but alive.

Instantly, he began to scan for Bluestar. He saw neither her nor Tigerclaw, at first, and then he noticed a tabby paw dug into the side of the trunk. Tigerclaw pulled himself upwards, standing on the top of the tree's fallen trunk, fur puffed out in all directions. Fireheart had never seen Tigerclaw actually look afraid before.

"Bluestar?" He called, choking on the smoke-filled air. Leaping down from the branch, he hurried around the tree, searching. Then, he spotted a tuft of grayish blue fur from underneath the trees massive frame, and his heart sunk.

_Please don't be Bluestar, _he prayed. _Please StarClan, let it just be fur. Let it just be fur. _

He shoved with all his might, but he knew even before he had tried that he didn't have the strength to move it. He tried again, striking it at just the right angle, and it moved slightly. Enough for him to see the rest of Bluestar's tail, connected to her battered body.

"Bluestar!" He cried, grabbing her tail within his jaws and gently pulling. She hardly budged. This was a job for many cats, not one.

"I've done it."

Fireheart looked up at the voice. Tigerclaw was staring at the body, and his expression began to morph into one of triumph.

"She's gone," he cried. "Get up, if you can, Bluestar! I'll take every last life from you, if that's what I must do!"

"She'll wake up!" He snapped in return. "StarClan granted her nine lives so that she would be able to protect her Clan from cats like _you!"_

"Is that so?" Tigerclaw sneered. "Then _rise, _Bluestar, and 'protect' your Clan from it's new leader!"

Her body didn't stir. Any hope Fireheart had held began to plummet.

"It seems StarClan isn't going to step in and save her after all," he chuckled.

Fireheart, anger burning in his belly like the flames around them, leapt at Tigerclaw. The dark tom hissed and attempted to recoil with his claws, but Fireheart dropped to the trunk of the tree and rolled out of range. Fire licked at his tail and he stumbled forward, remembering what a dangerous battlefield he was in. They crashed together again, a flurry of claws and teeth. Tigerclaw managed to slam him to the ground, a few of his old wounds newly bleeding. Tigerclaw had him pinned with his side to the ground, keeping him from slashing at his underbelly. Tigerclaw let out a laugh and moved towards his throat.

"And now," he said, "you die too."

Just as Tigerclaw parted his jaws, about to clamp them shut over his throat, something hit them both with enough force to fling Tigerclaw off of him and send him tumbling away. Fireheart looked up, a new figure standing over him.

"You will _never _harm my son," the she-cat growled threateningly, her fur full of charred patches and her whiskers nearly singed away.

"Yellowfang," he gaped, eyes widening with surprise.

The elderly she-cat spared him one glance before leaping over him and barreling towards Tigerclaw. He scrabbled to his paws and rushed to defend her. Meanwhile, the fire was closing in on camp, and left very little room for escape. If they were going to make it out alive, they were going to have to do it soon.

Fireheart stumbled backwards after a blow to the face, opening his eyes again to find Yellowfang locked in battle with Tigerclaw again. In her youth, the fiery she-cat probably would have been a match for him. However, she was quickly losing energy, and the smoke inhalation wasn't helping matters.

"Fireheart, get out."

"No, I won't -"

"Leave!" She snapped again, dodging a blow from Tigerclaw. "Before there is no way out!"

Fireheart would not leave. He would not leave without her. Yellowfang leapt onto the tom, snarling threats.

"Go, now! While I have him!"

Fireheart realized with horror that Yellowfang was being deceived. Tigerclaw was letting her pin him, and with a heave, shoved her over the top of him, straight into the flames behind him.

"_Yellowfang!" _

As he stared in horror, Tigerclaw got to his paws and sped off. Fireheart hardly cared; he had to get to Yellowfang. The gray she-cat hadn't emerged yet, and he was just about to dive into the flames to retrieve her when she suddenly raced through the flames, stumbling to the ground, breathless and exhausted.

"Yellowfang," he cried, nudging her with his paw. Her fur was blackened by the fire, and what had been left of her whiskers was gone. Her eyes were shut and he mouth agape, as if searching for any hint of fresh air.

"Leave me."

Her voice was so raspy it startled him. She had always had a gruff voice, but the smoke seemed to be scarring her throat, with the way she sounded.

"I won't," he assured her. "I'll take you to where the Clan is, Cinderpaw will know what to do -"

"She got out…" She explained. "I...was trapped...don't get her, can't have her seeing…"

"Seeing what?" He asked, unable to repress a cough.

"Me like this," she managed before a cough of her own. "You've been like…a son to me, Fireheart. Let me die in peace…knowing you are safe…"

"No," he shook his head in denial. "I won't let you die here."

"I want to see you leave, Fireheart…grant me that, at least…"

Fireheart was torn. He could stay by this loyal cat and risk his own death, or make it out alive by obeying her orders.

"Go!" She suddenly snapped, bringing her paw up to scratch his foreleg. He backed away, then dipped his head in a final gesture of respect before turning and racing into the blazing forest.

* * *

I didn't even plan for this chapter to be so...full of death -_- It just kind of happened.

Reviews won't bring Bluestar or Yellowfang back to life...but they will get you the next update faster.


	19. Together

The aftermath of all the intensity that was the last chapter. However, you're still going to like this chapter, for a long awaited reason =D

**Disclaimer; I do not own Warriors. **

* * *

Graystripe paddled furiously, trying keep both himself and Cinderpaw afloat. When he felt himself touch down on land again, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thanks," she panted, looking as if she was trying to calm herself. They had been given orders by Bluestar to head over the river, regardless that it was RiverClan territory. The forest was on fire; they couldn't be expected to stay there. Cinderpaw had been unable to swim across unassisted, and he had offered to help her.

"Graystripe."

Sandstorm was approaching him, soaked with water as they all were, panting from the smoke and the swimming. She got close enough to whisper, and then continued.

"Fireheart was back at camp."

"What?" He asked. Fireheart couldn't be back at camp, it was all up in flames!

"He came with me until Tallpines," she explained, "on my journey back. Then we smelled the smoke, and he just followed me all the way back…I couldn't let him go into camp with me, so I told him to run somewhere. Anywhere, just so he wouldn't be caught in the fire."

"You left him?" Graystripe gaped. "In the forest, which is on _fire?"_

"I couldn't bring him with me!" She exclaimed. "I didn't have much of a choice."

"Where is he now?" Cinderpaw asked. "He's not still in there, is he?"

"I don't think so," she assured them. "He would have run, if he has any sense."

"I'll be back."

Graystripe turned and splashed back into the water.

"Wait, where are you going?" Sandstorm called after him. "Graystripe!"

He ignored her. She may have helped them before, but she had abandoned Fireheart in a forest of flames. He could still be in there, anything could have happened. What if he was trapped?

He had already lost Silverstream, and the respect of his Clanmates. If he lost Fireheart, there would be nothing left.

---

Tigerclaw came to a halt at the river, breathing harshly to clear his lungs of smoke. Staring across the river, he scanned for the cats he wanted to see.

"Darkstripe!" He called, and the black tom looked up. He wasn't the only one. Other cats watched him, waiting for orders from their deputy. "Dustpelt, Longtail! You three will stay here, keeping watch for any cats who have not made it out yet."

His three warriors paddled across the river, Longtail looking nervous and Dustpelt expressionless. Darkstripe merely looked the same as he always did, some kind of look in his eye that Tigerclaw could never quite identify.

"Keep watch for Fireheart," he ordered. "Kill him, if you can. If not, let him get away, but he is not, under any circumstances, allowed to follow after the Clan."

Tigerclaw would prefer to end Fireheart's life himself, but he wasn't going to complain if another cat beat him to it. As long as he was kept out of the way, Tigerclaw didn't care what happened to him.

Darkstripe and Dustpelt nodded, while Longtail merely stared. Tigerclaw was sure that it was only fear of him that kept Longtail as one of his followers.

"I am leading the Clan to RiverClan camp, where we will ask Crookedstar for shelter."

"They won't allow that with Graystripe around," Dustpelt pointed out.

"And what about Bluestar?" Longtail asked. "Shouldn't we wait for her?"

"Graystripe went back into the forest," Darkstripe answered for him, rolling his eyes. "I can't imagine why."

"Fireheart is in there," Tigerclaw hissed, "that must be it. Kill him too, if you must. If he is with Fireheart, either kill him or do not let him return to the Clan. He will know too much for me to allow that. As for Bluestar, she was struck by a falling tree as we escaped. She is dead."

Longtail and Dustpelt looked visibly surprised. Darkstripe, on the other hand, looked pleased.

It was those little things, despite his occasional cowardice and foolishness, that convinced Tigerclaw to keep Darkstripe around.

---

A charred branch smacked into the earth in front of him, and he jumped back in alarm. Quickly he turned to the left, running around it. The fire had spread as much as it could, and now it could only continue to burn. The forest was closing in on him.

_How did Tigerclaw find a way out?_

Then again, maybe he hadn't. Fireheart didn't know for sure; Tigerclaw could be racing through the blaze just as he was, searching for an escape.

The smoke was really getting to him. He had spent enough time here already, and every breath burned his throat.

"Fireheart?"

He heard the voice, calling his name somewhere. Through the crackling sound of the forest burning, he couldn't make out who it was. Maybe it wasn't even there. Perhaps the smoke was getting to him more than he thought.

"Fireheart!"

No, he couldn't be imagining it. He had just heard clearly heard it again. The voice was starting to sound more familiar.

His throat hurt too badly for him to respond, so he strained his eyes instead, trying to look through the flames. Then, a figure came into view. The figure of a tom with gray, striped fur and bright yellow eyes.

_Graystripe._

"Fireheart!" He cried, racing towards him, dodging burning branches and plants. Graystripe was here, finally, standing in front of him again, and he could not find a single thing to say.

Luckily, Graystripe seemed to be willing to do the talking for him.

"Come on, we have to get out of here! I _knew _Sandstorm was mouse-brained for leaving without you…"

He continued to speak, though Fireheart could hardly hear it, and he was fairly sure that Graystripe was mostly talking to himself. The pair of them hurried towards the edge of the forest, Graystripe leading the way. They barreled through the last of the brush and Fireheart felt the pebbles of the shore under his paws. Graystripe halted at the edge of the river, eyes searching for something.

"Where are they?" He said, half to himself. "They were right across the river."

"Who?" Fireheart finally managed to speak.

"The Clan," Graystripe explained, and then turned his head towards him, eyes glowing warmly. "I still can't believe you're finally back."

Fireheart felt hot under his fur, looking away. "Techincally, I shouldn't be here."

"Who cares?" He laughed softly. "You are, and you're safe. What else matters?"

"What an _adorable _couple."

Fireheart's fur rose in an instant. The warmth in Graystripe's eyes faded, and he looked around.

"I've seen too much of you lately, kittypet," Darkstripe growled, "and I intend to put a stop to that."

"How?" Fireheart returned. "Going to finish me off? You couldn't before, and something tells me you can't now."

"Finish you off?" Graystripe interjected, but the dark tom ignored him.

"You were supposed to have died," Darkstripe hissed. "But that's not a problem now. Longtail, Dustpelt."

The two other toms emerged from a section of already burned out forest, and Fireheart suddenly felt a little less hopeful that this battle would be easy.

"You have two options," Darkstripe went on. "Fight us and die, or run back to your Twolegs and keep your nose out of Tigerclaw's forest."

"_Tigerclaw's _forest?" Graystripe asked, looking back and forth between them. His eyes finally rested on Fireheart. "What does he mean? What's -?"

Graystripe was interupted by Darkstripe letting out a yowl, and charging at the two of them. Taking cues from him, Dustpelt and Longtail followed suit, all three cats racing towards them. Before Fireheart had time to react, Darkstripe slammed into him, and Graystripe was hit by both Longtail and Dustpelt.

This time, it appeared that Darkstripe was taking things more seriously. Tigerclaw was nowhere to be seen, and Darkstripe had more time to plan his attacks. They were less frequent, not rushed like before, but more brutal. Each blow hurt more than the last. Fireheart was simply unprepared for a battle; his old wounds were aching, a few of them opened again by his short clash with Tigerclaw. His smoke damaged lungs gasped for air as he struggled to keep up with Darkstripe, while the other tom was clearly battle ready. Graystripe was in good condition, but he was facing two cats, not one. It was almost like both fights already had a predetermined winner, and now it was only a matter of how quickly he and Graystripe would lose.

Suddenly, Darkstripe was shoved away and he was being pushed to his paws by Graystripe. Graystripe stayed behind him, urging him to run, while Darkstripe cackled behind them and yelled.

"That's right, fools, run! And if you ever come back, Tigerclaw _himself_ will kill you!"

* * *

Yes, after.... -counts- _eleven_ chapters of seperation, Graystripe and Fireheart have teamed up again.

**-If you have not read 'Sunrise', don't read this!-**

I just finished Sunrise and I was _completely _right about Hollyleaf all along. I feel clever =D. Though I did not see her death coming at all. I have a strange feeling that we're not done seeing her yet, whether that be in death or in life.


	20. Confession

Plenty of Graystripe and Fireheart interaction for your enjoyment. =D

Extra; It's a goal of mine to get 100 reviews for one story, and so far, 'Distorted Reality' is doing quite well. I'm still very, very skeptical about making it to review 100, but...we'll see what happens. The 100th reviewer gets...something. It's currently undecided. A fic of some sort, that's all I know - besides, I might not even make it there!

**Disclaimer; I do not own Warriors. **

* * *

"Alright, what _was _that?"

Fireheart wasn't sure how to answer. He would have to explain everything to Graystripe now, and there was only one benefit to that; perhaps it would make him forget about the rumors undoubtedly flying around ThunderClan, about Fireheart's feelings for him.

"I have to start at the beginning," he stated, and Graystripe nodded. The two of them were at Tallpines; safe, for the time being, and Fireheart felt comfortable enough to sit down. "It was you who saved me when I first got these, right?" He motioned with his tail to his old wounds.

"And Cinderpaw," he clarified.

_So that's who the friend was._

"Tigerclaw gave me them," he went on. "Not Tigerclaw specifically, but he found me in Smudge's yard and ordered Darkstripe and Longtail to attack me. They probably would have killed me right then if it weren't for Smudge's Twolegs, and I would have died anyway if it hadn't been for you and Cinderpaw."

"Why in StarClan's name would they attack you?" He asked. "I don't get it. Why did they do this?"

"Because of how suspicious I've always been of Tigerclaw," he continued. "What he's done, and what he's still doing. He wanted to get rid of me so that I wouldn't be any trouble to him anymore, and using Silverstream's death was a perfect way to get me out of the Clan."

"But why did you run?" He asked. "I would have defended you, Fireheart. I'm sure Bluestar would have believed you."

StarClan, he didn't want to talk about that. He couldn't tell Graystripe the other reason why he had felt so compelled to leave; that his biggest secret had been exposed.

"There were cats coming after me, Graystripe," he decided there was no harm in mentioning what Sandstorm had done for him. "Sandstorm ran ahead to tell me."

"She did?"

"Yeah," he confirmed. Graystripe had been lost in grief at the time, and had completely missed Fireheart's exit. "Then, when I was in the forest just now, as it was on fire, he was there; Tigerclaw. I went after him and Bluestar followed us, straight up a tree, and when it fell it…killed her."

"Bluestar's _dead?"_

Fireheart could only nod.

"So that means…"

"Tigerclaw is leader now, as soon as he makes his journey to the Moonstone."

Graystripe didn't respond, but his mouth was slightly agape in disbelief.

"Yellowfang was in the forest, too," his eyes fell to the ground. "She tried to fight him, but…"

"Her too?"

Fireheart nodded again. There was a thick silence before Graystripe spoke up again.

"Fireheart, I've been meaning to ask you, once I finally got to see you again…"

Fireheart held his breath. This conversation was taking a turn into forbidden territory. A place, at least in Fireheart's eyes, that it didn't need to go. He had just gotten Graystripe back; did he really want to mess everything up by admitting his feelings?

"There was another rumor around camp, and probably around the other Clans too," he began, and this only made Fireheart feel worse. Tigerclaw had announced his news at the Gathering, all four Clans would have heard. That was how RiverClan had come to the conclusion that he had killed Silverstream. Which meant that every Clan cat in all four territories knew about his secret. "Something about me?"

StarClan, this was it. If he confessed now, anything could happen. Graystripe could be disgusted, or leave, or everything would become awkward and he would have ruined any chance of just being normal like they always had been. Or, on the bright side, Graystripe might not even mind. Everything _could _continue as normal. Or even better; what if Graystripe felt the same?

There were always so many possibilites. Why couldn't his problems just have a right and wrong answer?

"Oh," he managed.

_What an answer. This is _Graystripe _I'm talking to! Can't I just be normal about this?_

"Do you know what I mean?" He asked, not condescendingly, just curiously. Graystripe had probably expected him to casually deny it, and the two of them could laugh about the absurdity of it. Most likely, the last thing he had expected was for his friend to suddenly clam up on him.

No, he was wrong about that one. The last thing he would expect would be for Fireheart to _confirm _the rumor, and, unless he was going to lie, that was exactly what he was about to do.

"Yeah," he gathered his composure and managed a decent answer. "Sandstorm told me about that one."

"So?" Graystripe asked, looking somewhat amused. "I wanted to wait until I could ask you about it, because I figured it wasn't true, but I have no idea how anyone would have thought to -"

"It's true."

There was an extended silence, during which Fireheart stared directly in front of him. Graystripe, who was seated off to the side, was watching him with slightly widened eyes.

"Well," he cocked his head slightly to one side, his expression changing from one of surprise to one of mild confusion. "That's not really what I expected."

_StarClan help me. _

"But…"

_Bluestar, Yellowfang, help me. I don't know what I'll do if -_

"…so what?"

_- wait._

Fireheart actually faced him.

"What do you mean, 'so what'?"

"Who cares?" Graystripe had that old look on his face, a casual expression. Like anything could just roll off his shoulders. So far, everything _was. _"You're my best friend, Fireheart, and nothing changes that."

_Thank you, thank you, thank you._

"Thanks," was all he managed, but it was like a huge weight had lifted off of him. Graystripe hadn't freaked out. In fact, he didn't seem bothered at all. Everything was fine. "So you aren't angry with me? About that or getting chased out of ThunderClan?"

The last part held a bit of humor. Graystripe caught it and rolled his eyes.

"Fireheart, you're the only friend I have left," he meowed. "Well, Cinderpaw, too. I'd rather be alone with you than in a Clan full of cats who don't even trust me to patrol anymore. I'm not angry about anything."

"Good," he purred, "because I've been waiting a long time to talk to you again."

"Yeah," Graystripe agreed, "I've missed you."

---

"Fireheart and Graystripe are not with you?"

"No, Crookedstar," Tigerclaw confirmed. "Fireheart ran off after your daughter's death, and Graystripe has not been seen since the fire. I am not certain, but it is quite possible that he is one of the few that did not make it out."

_That mouse-brained idiot, Fireheart isn't stupid! He wasn't going to sit there as the flames got closer, he would have ran! He didn't _need _help!_

Sandstorm watched the older tom nod, and turn to his warriors.

"Well, RiverClan?" Crookedstar asked. "Can we afford to shelter an entire Clan, especially this one?"

There were yowls of disagreement, and a few undecided cats. A few even agreed with the prospect of housing ThunderClan cats.

"It would only be one night, Crookedstar," Tigerclaw added. "We would not be a burden to you."

A few RiverClan cats were still shouting a resounding 'no'. Crookedstar looked to a spotted she-cat nearby.

"Leopardfur?" He addressed her. "What do you have to say?"

"I say that RiverClan is not responsible for ThunderClan cats," she hissed. "If something were to happen to the river, would they help us?"

"We respect your concerns, Crookedstar," Tigerclaw interjected. "Can you allow us a night on your side of the river, near the border? By morning the fire will have burned itself out, and we will be free to return to our side of the river."

Crookedstar thought harder about this.

"I suppose I can allow that," he agreed, much to Sandstorm's relief. "But there will three RiverClan warriors with you at all times, to keep watch."

Tigerclaw nodded, turning to lead the Clan away. Well, _his_ Clan, now. Sandstorm couldn't believe that Bluestar hadn't come out of the blaze. The Clan was holding back their grief; they couldn't allow RiverClan to see them weak. That was what Tigerclaw had said, and Sandstorm agreed with him. Another cat who had never emerged was Yellowfang, though Tigerclaw said he was unsure what had happened to her.

As they settled near the river, their forest burned black before them. Most of what they could see was already burned through, and the fire was farther back. Tigerclaw's guess seemed correct; the fire would be gone by morning.

Settling into the pebbles uncomfortably, Sandstorm spied Cinderpaw a few fox-lengths away, staring into the forest. Her back was turned, so Sandstorm could not see her face, but she could guess who the gray she-cat was waiting for. Her mentor, Yellowfang. Probably even Graystripe, as well. She had been close enough to hear Sandstorm's conversation with Graystripe, so she didn't doubt that the apprentice knew Fireheart had been in the flames as well. Tigerclaw was watching over his Clan with a stern gaze, every now and then glancing over at the RiverClan warriors sent to watch them. Brindleface's kits, not even old enough to have opened their eyes, squirmed about as she licked them reassuringly.

ThunderClan didn't belong here, bundled on the shore of the river. The forest was their home, and as far as Sandstorm was concerned, the quicker they were able to return, the better.

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Reviews...ah, it's chapter twenty, you know this stuff by now.


	21. Arrivals

Tigerclaw continues to plot, and Graystripe has a temporary home with Fireheart.

**Disclaimer; I do not own Warriors or the cats. Though it would be fantastic if I did. **

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It was the dead of night, and behind Tigerclaw, ThunderClan slept. He, however, was far too busy to sleep. He had a trip to the Moonstone to think about, a deputy to appoint, and alliances to make. At the moment, he was focused on the latter.

"I'm not sure I believe you, Tigerclaw," Leopardfur meowed suspiciously. "Though I wish I could."

"ThunderClan does not approve of murder, Leopardfur," he went on. "You know as well as we do that Fireheart is no longer with us. He ran for a reason; he knew what awaited him if he had stayed."

The she-cat's eyes were still narrowed with distrust, but Tigerclaw could tell her wall of suspicion was slowly fading. She believed him.

"All the same," she went on. "I refuse to make any deals behind Crookedstar's back. If you want an alliance with RiverClan, you're speaking with the wrong cat."

Tigerclaw nodded. "Of course. I'll speak with Crookedstar as soon as possible. Tension is not what I want for our Clans, Leopardfur. An alliance would benefit both of our Clans."

"What about Graystripe?" A tom he recognized as Blackclaw was one of the group.

"Graystripe never made it out of the fire," Tigerclaw explained.

The smoky black tom looked satisfied. Tigerclaw had been slightly concerned with the news Darkstripe had reported; that Graystripe had run off with Fireheart. That meant that the kittypet fool had help. Tigerclaw couldn't think about that now, however. He had plans to carry out.

"I'll be back with the next shift," Leopardfur said to the two warriors beside her, getting to her paws. "Would you like me to consult Crookedstar about your offer, Tigerclaw?"

"I think Crookedstar might consider it fully if I told him myself," he explained, feigning respect.

As the spotted she-cat padded away, only one of the two remaining RiverClan cats, Loudbelly, watched her go. The other, Blackclaw, watched him, and then spoke up.

"I'd be willing to take you up on that offer, Tigerclaw."

Tigerclaw found himself hardly surprised. Out of every cat in RiverClan, this one seemed particularly reckless. As if he was willing to get revenge at any cost.

Exactly the type of cat he was looking for.

"Really, now?" Tigerclaw asked.

"Leopardfur doesn't want us making any deals," Loudbelly eyed his Clanmate. "Didn't you hear?"

"Of course I heard," He rolled his eyes. "I'm only letting you know, Tigerclaw. If Crookedstar agrees to it, I'll be backing you."

Loudbelly still looked quite unsure, and Tigerclaw would have shared this uncertainty, if he were a RiverClan cat. However, this was not the case, and it mattered very little to him if RiverClan ran into bumps in the road due to his plans. He doubted Blackclaw was going to let the chance for revenge slip away, even if his leader didn't agree with it.

Tigerclaw watched the tom with ambitious eyes. He had a very good feeling about this cat.

---

"Fireheart! You're back."

Fireheart greeted Smudge in return, jumping down over the other side of the fence. Graystripe followed closely after.

"You've brought your friend," Smudge commented. "It's nice to see you again, ah…"

"Graystripe," Fireheart said.

"Yes, Graystripe," Smudge repeated. "Well, as long as you're a friend of Fireheart's, you're welcome in my yard. By the way, Fireheart, Princess is looking for you."

"She is?"

"She wants you to go see the kits," he explained. "She keeps reminding me to tell you to visit."

Fireheart looked over at Graystripe, who was standing back a bit.

"I'm going inside for the night," Smudge said. "I only came out to see if you were back yet."

"I'll see you in the morning, Smudge."

"Goodnight, Fireheart," he turned away, padding back towards his Twoleg nest. "And you, Graystripe!"

"You too," Graystripe mewed.

"Princess' Twolegs won't be around so late," Fireheart pointed out. "Do you want to come with me?"

"Why wouldn't I?" Graystripe seemed to perk up now that they were alone. "I only just got you back."

Fireheart tried not to read into that comment. Graystripe didn't seem overly concerned about Fireheart's confirmation of the rumor, but he hadn't shown any sign of feeling the same way. For now, Fireheart was just content with having his friend back.

The two headed over the fence, Fireheart leading the way. When they reached Princess' yard, Fireheart noticed that the brown tabby was already outside, seated just outside her Twoleg's nest.

"Fireheart!" She called, then spotted Graystripe. "Oh! You're the cat who helped Fireheart, aren't you?"

Graystripe nodded.

"That's Graystripe, Princess," he introduced, unsure if she knew his name.

"Oh, I can't wait to show you the kits," she mused, turning. "I'll be right back."

Fireheart sat down, waiting to meet the kits. He glanced over at Graystripe, surprised to see his friend looking…uncomfortable?

"Is something wrong?" He asked.

"No," the tom answered, a little too quickly. "I'm fine."

Fireheart watched his friend suspiciously, but turned back when he heard a faint mew. Princess had a small, white kit dangling in her jaws. She set him down gently before Fireheart.

"They're too young to be out for long," she said. "I'll be back."

She disappeared back into the nest, and Fireheart wondered how many she had. The little white kit before him squirmed about blindly, his tiny jaws revealing pink gums. Fireheart leaned down and touched noses with the kit, who squeaked in return.

Fireheart noticed that his friend had done nothing but stare at the kit with a strange expression. Confused, he tried to get Graystripe to interact with the little tom.

"I bet this is how you looked as a kit, Graystripe."

"What?" The gray tom seemed to come back from his thoughts. "Irresistibly cute?"

Fireheart laughed. "No. Look at his fur, how it's sticking out everywhere."

Graystripe paused for a moment. "So you're saying I was cute _and _fluffy?"

Fireheart rolled his eyes, chuckling.

Princess emerged with another kit, this time, it was brown like her. It's fur was more controlled than the white kit's, and Princess set this one before Graystripe.

"Do they have names?" Fireheart asked. Princess shook her head.

"No," she said. "Their Twolegs will name them."

"You can't even name your own kits?" Graystripe meowed suddenly.

"Well, I could," she explained. "I just know that their Twolegs will name them again, even if I do."

Graystripe still looked like he had questions, but instead looked down at the kit before him. It seemed to be crawling back towards it's mother, slowly but surely.

"Looks like this one doesn't like me much," Graystripe chuckled.

"Yeah, but look at him," Fireheart pointed with his tail. The white tom had squirmed it's way towards Graystripe, and was now burying himself in the thick fur of his tail.

Princess purred at the sight, and Fireheart laughed. Graystripe lifted up his tail, and the kit squeaked in protest.

"Okay, okay," he complied, dropping his tail again. "Sorry."

They watched the kits for a while more, before Princess decided they needed to return to the Twoleg nest. They said their goodbyes, and the pair began their walk to Smudge's yard. Graystripe was hanging back, being unusually quiet.

"Graystripe, is something wrong?" He asked for the second time that night. "Really. You're acting strange."

"I'm just…thinking."

"About -?" He stopped himself. He had completely forgotten about what Graystripe had told him, the night they had discovered Silverstream, dying by the river. She had been expecting kits. "- oh."

He hadn't thought about that at all.

"Having kits would be great, Fireheart," he went on. "It'd be fun. But I'll never get to do that. I'll never get that chance again." Fireheart could almost feel his friends grief. He didn't want Graystripe to feel like this, but what could he do?

"I'm sorry," he said, pressing closer to Graystripe in an attempt to comfort him.

"I know," he mumbled, looking up. "I'm trying to…move on, I guess, but I can't. I can't forget about how things might have turned out, if Silverstream was still here." He stopped. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't...I shouldn't be bothering you with this."

"No, Graystripe," Fireheart assured him, "don't say that. You can tell me anything."

As good of a cat as Silverstream had been, Fireheart couldn't help what he felt. While Graystripe was busy holding onto what his life could have been, Fireheart couldn't wait for him to forget.

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Reviews...ah, you all know.


	22. Rebuilding

Sigh; one of those short chapters.

**Disclaimer; I don't own Warriors, obviously. **

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Cinderpaw limped into the medicine den, looking around with wide blue eyes. Their home was completely charred, blackened by the flames. Her eyes fell to where the herbs should be, where she and Yellowfang would normally sleep, where injured cats would rest. All of these places were ruined, destroyed by the fire that had swept through their forest.

"What are we supposed to do now?" She murmured to herself. Who else was she to talk to? Yellowfang was dead, Graystripe had never made it out of the fire, Fireheart was still gone. She had one last confidant.

"Are you okay, Cinderpaw?"

She didn't have to look to know who the voice belonged to. Her brother, ever reliable, had come looking for her.

"How are we ever going to fix this?"

"I'll help you," he said. "We'll have it back to normal in no time. Tigerclaw just gave everyone orders to start clearing out camp, and then we can start rebuilding. It'll be as good as new before you know it, I promise."

Cinderpaw sighed. It could never be back to normal. From now on she would be working alone, the sole medicine cat of her Clan. Yellowfang was gone; how would this den ever look normal again?

"Cinderpaw."

She turned, her eyes resting on Tigerclaw, who was standing in the entrance.

"As the Clan's new medicine cat," he explained, and Cinderpaw felt an enormous responsibility fall onto her shoulders. She was still an apprentice, she didn't even have her true name yet! As true as she knew his words to be, she didn't feel ready to become a full medicine cat. There was still so much to learn; she couldn't be alone yet. "I need you to accompany me to the Moonstone tonight, for my leadership ceremony."

Cinderpaw nodded.

"As for you, you need to go about becoming a full medicine cat as soon as possible."

"I will," she answered. "The half moon is soon; I'll have to wait until then."

Tigerclaw nodded. Then, Cinderpaw thought of something.

"Wait," she said, "we're supposed to have traveling herbs for the journey to the Moonstone. The entire supply was destroyed in the fire."

Tigerclaw looked concerned for a moment, but it quickly faded.

"What do you need?"

Cinderpaw listed off the few ingredients she would require. Tigerclaw turned towards Brackenpaw suddenly.

"Fetch those for her, if you can find them."

Brackenpaw nodded, obediently exiting the den.

"If Brackenpaw is unsuccessful," he explained, "we will have to make the journey without traveling herbs."

Cinderpaw didn't know how good of an idea that was, but nodded regardless. She had work to do if she was going to turn this back into a proper medicine den, and she had to get started right away.

---

"You can't be serious."

"I'm completely serious," Blackclaw told the other tom. "Crookedstar will understand, once he sees the results."

"Who's to say that he will?" Loudbelly argued. "What if he doesn't? What if he just thinks you're a traitor?"

"He can't accuse me of that," Blackclaw shot back. "I'm doing this for his daughter!"

"You're doing it because you're jealous," Loudbelly declared. "You're angry because your plan didn't work. That's not the fault of any-"

"Quiet," Blackclaw hissed, cutting him off. "Are you going to help me or not?"

"No."

"Are you going to run to Crookedstar the moment I start helping Tigerclaw?"

The other tom didn't answer for a moment. He opened his mouth, then closed it again. Finally, he decided on a response.

"No."

"Good," Blackclaw said. "Don't ruin this for RiverClan. I've already decided, and Leopardfur is a _mouse-length_ away from agreeing with me."

This whole plan made Loudbelly very uneasy. Despite this, he nodded.

"As long as I don't have to help."

"You don't have to do anything you don't agree to," Blackclaw assured him. Loudbelly felt comfortable in his Clanmates reassurance, but somehow, the whole thing still didn't sit right with him. If his Clanmates were going to start teaming up with ThunderClan's new leader, how long could he avoid joining them?

---

The nursery and elder's den had been cleared first. There was almost no fresh moss, and while the queens and their kits were coping just fine, the elders were complaining up a storm. Sandstorm didn't have the patience for it, so she had merely left to get started on another section of camp. It was finished now, looking decent, but not like it had before. She had helped Cinderpaw for awhile, but now that the gray she-cat was gone with Tigerclaw, she was working on the warriors den. It appeared that she wouldn't be getting any sleep tonight.

"Need any help?"

It was Dustpelt. Sandstorm sighed inwardly. Unless he was actually going to be helpful, why couldn't he just leave her be?

"No," she said, shoving aside a pile of charred bedding. Dustpelt looked disheartened for a moment, and then sighed.

"I take it you're still angry at me for not explaining."

"You've got that right," Sandstorm meowed, still not facing him and instead, busying herself with clearing the den. She picked up a bundle of old bedding in her mouth and turned around, walking past Dustpelt and out of the den.

"Look," he said, hurrying after her. "You want an explanation, right? That's all you want?"

She didn't answer.

"I'll tell you, okay? If I tell you, will you talk to me?"

Sandstorm stopped. She did really want to know why Tigerclaw had gone so easy on them, but she also had real work to do. Slacking off on her duties had proved to be the wrong decision the first time she had done so, and she would be a fool to make the same mistake twice.

She dropped the bedding.

"Fine," she said, "but not now. I have work to do, and so do you. When camp is finally ready again, I'll hear you out."

"Thanks," he meowed from behind her. She grabbed the pile once again, and padded out of camp to dispose of the old bedding.

---

At the Moonstone, a dark tabby was watching his medicine cat with impatience. The she-cat was taking long enough to walk with StarClan; her message couldn't possibly be as important as his had been.

The ritual was not something he was allowed to speak about, and for once, a rule had been established that he would obey. If no one knew what had taken place, the ceremony would hold a sort of mystery to it, something that would make his warriors wonder. Just like the leaders before him, he would be respected more than ever before.

Feared, even.

Finally, the gray cat woke up, shaking her head and turning towards him. He spoke no words, but turned and headed back out of the cave. It had taken enough time to get here, with her useless leg dragging behind her. Furthermore, he was leader now. He had no time to lose; there was much to do. Plans to make, a camp to rebuild; all of this would be the start of his new reign. Not just a reign over ThunderClan, either. No, he planned to extend his leadership over the entire forest, if he could.

He was quite sure he could. He had been unbeatable in battle with one life; how could any cat stand against him now that he held nine?

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Reviews get a new chapter, one that's a decent length this time, to you faster.


	23. Ceremonies

Tigerstar's plots are progressing...a bit slower than he'd like.

Explantions of a few things at the bottom.

**Disclaimer; I've never owned anything.**

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Graystripe jolted awake.

_Fox-dung, _he thought to himself. _I had it again._

The past few nights he had been having dreams. Dreams where Silverstream called out to him, but he couldn't see her. Where he could hear her desperately calling for help, but he could not find her.

He shook his head to clear his thoughts. He had to focus. There was no reason to think like that. It wasn't really happening.

_Right, _he thought morbidly, _it wouldn't, because she's already gone._

Glancing over at his friend, Graystripe found Fireheart sleeping peacefully. A few unhealed wounds still showed through his fur, and he could tell a couple would be scars. He found his mood lightening with just the sight of the other tom.

_He really is all I have left, _Graystripe mused.

Fireheart's confession had really gotten him thinking. What did he mean, anyway? That he just cared a lot about him? That he didn't have any other reason to go back to the forest?

That Fireheart actually loved him?

In any case, Graystripe didn't see why everyone had gotten so angry over it. It was none of their business who Fireheart loved, so why didn't they just keep their noses out of it?

Graystripe looked over at the forest. There was probably hardly any prey left in it for the Clan, let alone he and Fireheart too. Then again, they were ThunderClan cats too, despite their temporary absence; and Graystripe planned on it being temporary.

Getting to his feet, he decided that if he wasn't going to sleep, he might as well look around for a meal for them.

---

The den was looking…well, decent was all Cinderpaw would give it. Leaf-bare was going to be difficult, once it arrived. Prey and herbs were both scarce, due to the fire. Plus, there were cats who had inhaled more smoke than others, and Cinderpaw was having a hard enough time finding honey for them, let alone any other type of medicine.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting!"

Cinderpaw heard the voice calling from outside, and hurried to join the rest of the Clan.

"I have gathered you here, ThunderClan," Tigerstar was perched atop the Highrock, announcing. It still felt strange to refer to him as Tiger_star. _It hadn't really sunk in that in a single tragedy, she had lost both her mentor and her leader. "To name the new deputy of ThunderClan. I name this deputy before StarClan, in hopes that Bluestar will hear and approve my choice."

There was a pause, and a few cats seemed to hold their breath.

"My deputy shall be Darkstripe."

Cats called out 'Darkstripe!' and Cinderpaw even put in a cheer of her own. Only one. She had never liked the grumpy tom enough to give him any more. Cats went to congratulate him, while Tigerstar merely watched from his perch. Then, to her surprise, the new leader jumped down and headed in her direction.

"Cinderpaw," he said, "the half-moon is tonight. Will you be going?"

"Of course," she assured him. "I have to become a full medicine cat."

He nodded stiffly, padding past her. Tigerstar, as horrible as Bluestar's death was, was getting things done quite nicely. The camp was cleaned out, rebuilding quickly. The Clan was being held together, even under the stress of losing a leader, medicine cat, and home all in one. Everyone was doing such a good job.

She only hoped that she would be able to do as much.

---

The Clan's medicine cat was away, the warriors and apprentices were asleep after a long day of work. Not a soul was awake on ThunderClan territory, save for their leader and his deputy.

"I've explained this to you once, Darkstripe, do not make me repeat myself."

"But Tigerstar -"

"What? What can possibly not be clear?"

"You can't send me over there by myself!" Darkstripe whispered urgently. "One night with RiverClan doesn't make them our friends, they could -"

"Don't you think I knowthat, you fool?" He snapped "I'm not looking for _friends, _Darkstripe, in case you had missed _another _part of the plan."

The tom's tail fell slightly.

"But what if it's a trap?" Darkstripe meowed. "What if Blackclaw won't be there at all?"

"You know how to _run, _don't you, Darkstripe?" Tigerstar growled. "You have teeth and claws?"

Darkstripe didn't answer. He felt foolish enough already, and knew from experience that any response would only be rewarded with more ridicule.

"Now, are you ready?"

"Yes, Tigerstar," Darkstripe said simply, giving up on any type of argument. Despite his pleas, Tigerstar clearly wasn't going to supply him with any type of back-up, and Darkstripe wouldn't dare suggest that Tigerstar himself accompany him, especially now that he was leader.

"Good," Tigerstar said, "be back before dawn."

"Of course," he muttered, slinking out of the den. The dark tom neared the edge of camp before disspearing into the blackened forest, headed towards Sunningrocks.

---

_Cinderpelt! _

The gray she-cat's eyes snapped open. Someone was calling her in a demanding tone, yet the voice still managed to sound whispy and far away.

_Cinderpelt, get up! You have more duties than ever, now._

Wait, Cinder_pelt? _But that wasn't her name! She was still Cinderpaw!

_No, Cinderpelt. I could not give you your name in life, so I give it to you now. Cinderpelt. You are a full medicine cat now._

Cinderpelt got to her paws, staring into a green, lush forest, unlike the flame-blackened one she was so familiar with. She looked around eagerly, searching for a cat she knew was here.

"Yellowfang?" She called out hopefully. "Are you here? Come out, please."

_You do not need to see me for me to be with you, Cinderpelt._

"That doesn't mean I don't want to see you," Cinderpelt answered.

_Quiet! Have you no respect for your ancestors?_

Cinderpelt couldn't help a small laugh. "You're not my _ancestor, _Yellowfang. You're my mentor."

_Not anymore, _her voice reminded her, and Cinderpelt felt her momentary happiness fading. _Times in the forest are serious, Cinderpelt. More serious than you know. Spottedleaf's prophecy still stands true; fire alone can save our Clan._

"What?" She asked. "Spottedleaf's prophecy? I don't know what you're talking about, Yellowfang -"

_Then perhaps you should think for a moment, _the she-cat was clearly as bad-tempered in StarClan as she had been in life, _rather than imidiately assuming you will never figure it out for yourself!_

Suddenly, the lush forest closed in on Cinderpelt in a rush of blackness. She felt herself tumbling from her dream, the secure feeling of having Yellowfang nearby escaping her. When the blackness lifted, she was staring into the Moonstone, her nose still touching it's surface.

"How was it, Cinderpaw?" Runningnose, the ShadowClan medicine cat, inquired. Cinderpelt got to her paws and stepped back from the Moonstone, the prophecy and Yellowfang's voice still fresh in her ears.

"I'm not Cinderpaw anymore," she stated. "My name is Cinderpelt."

---

Under the cover of the waning night, a dark tom sat with four other cats, whispering in hushed tones. The tom looked nervous, if you looked for the signs. His tail twitched and his ears swiveled periodically, keeping alert for any suspicious sounds. A smoky gray tom stood in front of him, a look of rebellion about him. Behind him sat a tabby of apprentice age, looking up at the black tom. The two cats beside him both appeared to be warriors, a gray she-cat and another tabby tom.

"How do you expect us to find him?" Blackclaw inquired. "He could be anywhere by now."

"We don't," Darkstripe explained, "we only hope that you will ally yourselves with us. When we _do _find him, your Clan will be alerted, and together we will decide what action to take."

"Tigerstar told you this?"

Darkstripe nodded.

"How do we know we can believe you?" The gray she-cat narrowed her eyes. "You or Tigerstar?"

"I am only relaying a message to you," Darkstripe pointed out. "This isn't about trusting me. Tigerstar is a cat of his word; if you side with him, you won't regret it."

The she-cat glanced over at the tabby next to her, and then back at Darkstripe.

"We'll see," she said.

Darkstripe wasn't happy with that answer, mainly because he knew Tigerstar wouldn't be. He had come here to _confirm _a RiverClan alliance with Tigerstar, not to be told they would have to wait longer.

"We must know soon," Darkstripe urged them. "Are you with us or aren't you?"

The she-cat looked irritated at being rushed, but Blackclaw was the cat who answered.

"I will speak with Tigerstar personally before I decide that," he said. Darkstripe felt the urge to hiss, but held it back. This pompous cat spoke like he was as good as Tigerstar, as if he was his _equal._

"When?"

"Two nights from now," he said. "Here."

However irriated it made Darkstripe to leave without a definite answer, he nodded. Then, he turned back and headed towards the forest, hearing the RiverClan cats slip into the waters behind him. He didn't know what was worse; that he didn't have an answer for his leader, or that he was going to have to tell Tigerstar that a meeting had been arranged on Blackclaw's terms, not his own.

Tigerstar was not going to be pleased.

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A few things; Graystripe's dreams are just that, dreams. He's not hearing the _real _Silverstream in them. The two RiverClan warriors with Blackclaw are just random cats who you won't find in the Allegiances. However, the apprentice is a canon-ly mentioned RiverClan cat.

Reviews are greatly appreciated, as always.


	24. Lies

In this chapter, Dustpelt finally steps up and explains to Sandstorm.

**Disclaimer; If I owned Warriors, it wouldn't have taken me so long to get a copy of Sunrise.**

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"I don't know if I can wait, Fireheart."

Fireheart's ears pricked at his friend's words. They had been peacefully lounging in the grass, just enjoying the sun, when Graystripe had spoke up. He sounded troubled, but Fireheart wasn't sure why.

"Wait for what?" He asked.

"To go back," he got to his paws, staring off into the distance, as if he could see straight through the fence and into the forest. "I belong there. _You _belong there. How can you stand the wait?"

Fireheart wasn't sure how. Perhaps because he knew all the treachery and danger that lie in wait. However, Graystripe knew these things as well. None of it seemed to be quelling his urge to return.

"I don't know," he answered. "I want to go back, but I know that I can't."

"You can!" Graystripe told him, yellow eyes piercing through his own. "Who's stopping you?"

"Tigerclaw." _Soon to be Tigerstar, _he thought. _If he isn't already._

"And you're going to let him?"

"I'm not _letting _him do anything," Fireheart said. "It would be mouse-brained of me to walk into the forest now, with only you to defend me. The Clan would shred us both."

"No, they wouldn't."

"They would."

"Like Sandstorm and Cinderpaw would let them!" Graystripe pointed out.

"Four cats against an entire Clan," Fireheart said. "That doesn't sound promising to me, Graystripe."

"Wait," Graystripe held up his tail, as if Fireheart had still been talking. "I've got it."

"What do you mean?"

"Cinderpaw," he said, "she can help us get back into the Clan!"

"How?" He asked suspiciously.

"Cinderpaw is becoming a full medicine cat soon, right?" He meowed. "Now that Yellowfang is gone? So, since she's the Clan's new medicine cat, what if she _happened _to see a sign from StarClan, saying that we need to return to ThunderClan?"

"Are you saying that we should…" he thought for a second, "…_fake _a sign from StarClan?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying," he announced. "The Clan will accept that we're meant to return, even if Tigerclaw doesn't. He'll have to go along with Cinderpaw and everyone else, or it'll seem like he's ignoring StarClan's wishes."

Fireheart weighed the pros and cons. On the plus side, they would be back in ThunderClan, and cats would, hopefully, be accepting of him due to StarClan's supposed interference. Tigerclaw wouldn't be able to harm him, since he would hardly ever be alone. He would also get more time to watch the new leader, and see what else he might be up to.

On the down side, Tigerclaw might still find a way to take advantage of he and Graystripe returning. Or, Cinderpaw could be discovered, and then what would the Clan think of her?

"So?" Graystripe inquired.

"We'll have ask Cinderpaw about it," he said. "Which means we'll have to find a way to get to her. If she agrees, we'll think of a plan."

Graystripe seemed quite pleased. Fireheart could only hope that things would go well.

---

Sandstorm narrowed her eyes at the sight, her fresh-kill sitting uneaten before her. What in StarClan's name were these cats doing in ThunderClan camp?

There were three in all; Leopardfur, RiverClan deputy, a warrior, who Sandstorm recognized as Blackclaw, and a younger tom who Sandstorm was not sure the identity of. She did know, however, that he was Blackclaw's apprentice. The three had been escorted by Dustpelt, Mousfur, and Runningwind, it seemed, into camp. Tigerstar had emerged from his den to confront them.

"Well?" He asked. "Are these trespassers, Dustpelt?"

"They claim that they need to speak with you, Tigerstar," The tom answered.

Leopardfur spoke up.

"We do, Tigerstar," she glanced around. "Privately, if that can be arranged."

Tigerstar locked eyes with Darkstripe, then Longtail, and with one flick of his tail they were beside him.

"Leopardfur, you may speak with me in my den," he said. "My deputy and warrior will accompany me. Your Clanmates will remain out here."

Blackclaw looked irritated at this, but if Leopardfur didn't like it, she made no mention. The four cats disappeared into Tigerstar's den, just after the tabby's final order for Mousefur and Runningwind to, 'keep an eye on the others'.

When Sandstorm noticed Dustpelt padding over, it was too late to casually return to her prey, or to make a quick exit from the scene.

"Camp is as good as it's going to get, until the forest recovers," Dustpelt started. "Are you ready to hear me out now?"

Sandstorm was suddenly interested. This was what she wanted to hear from her Clanmate.

"Yes," she answered. "Not here, though. Come on."

Dustpelt followed her just behind the warriors den, slightly into the forest to keep out of sight. This way, they would not be heard or spotted.

"Alright," Sandstorm said.

"Well," he began, "you know how Fireheart's been gone for awhile?"

Sandstorm nodded. She didn't really want to think about Fireheart right now.

"Well, Tigerstar's been wanting to find him. He's had Darkstripe, Longtail and I looking for him all the time."

"Why does he want to find him so badly?" Sandstorm asked. "And what does that have to do with our vigil?"

_Or lack_ _of one. _

"Well, he couldn't have me getting into trouble so that I couldn't leave camp. Then I wouldn't be able to help. As for finding him, he wanted to get his side of the story. Especially now that he's leader, he wants to…pass judgement, almost, so that the rest of the Clans, and ThunderClan, of course, know whether Fireheart's guilty or innocent."

So Dustpelt had been helping Tigerstar to find Fireheart, because they wanted to hear his defense? That made sense, especially now that Tigerstar was a new leader. Sandstorm supposed that having control over his Clan, whether that particular cat was currently with ThunderClan or not, would impress other leaders. Plus, if he found Fireheart and proved him innocent, there would be no more trouble from RiverClan. There was no way Fireheart could be proven guilty, since he hadn't done it. Even if there was some sort of constrution, and he _was _'proven' guilty, he would be with his Clanmates again, and cats like her and Cinderpelt would be able to vouch for him.

Graystripe, too, if he were there.

"Dustpelt, why didn't you just tell me that in the first place?" She rolled her eyes. "You'd made me all angry at you for _that?"_

Dustpelt's ears drooped slightly with embarrassment, and his tail waved back and forth across the grass.

"Sorry," he meowed. "It wasn't that I didn't want to tell you…you just seemed like you were accusing me of something before I even opened my mouth. Not that you were," he added, defusing any irritation that could have been building up inside Sandstorm. None had been; but it was a valid concern. "That's just how it seemed."

"Sorry for being so snappy," she returned, feeling as though the apology, however mouse-brained and annoying Dustpelt could be at times, was deserved.

"I realized afterwards that I should have just told you," he said. "But by then you were already angry with me, and I had to wait until now."

"You're such a furball sometimes," she rolled her eyes, and for the first time in awhile, she felt that she and Dustpelt were just as they had been as early apprentices; friends. "I would have helped you, you know. I've known where Fireheart is!"

Dustpelt's eyes widened a bit. "You have?"

"Yes," she said. "We were worried about telling anyone else, since everyone seems to believe the rumors about him."

"'We'?"

Sandstorm opened her mouth, then shut it again. It was one thing to give herself away, but quite another to give away Cinderpelt and Graystripe, who had always insisted that it be kept a secret.

"Don't worry about it," she meowed casually. "The important thing is that I can help you now."

"How do you know where he is?" Dustpelt asked. "Have you seen him?"

"Yes, I've seen him," she whispered. "But you have to keep this a secret, okay? This isn't just for anyone's ears."

Dustpelt nodded.

"I'm not sure where he is now, but I have an idea," she said. "We can go speak with him tonight; if you'll come with me."

Dustpelt looked hesitant, but after a moment of silence, he nodded.

"Yeah," he assured her. "I'll come with you."

* * *

Ah, Dustpelt. If anyone has any opinions on him, I'd be glad to hear. He's so conflicted...I love it. xD

Next chapter; things really start to pick up.

Reviews are great, as always.


	25. Deception

**Disclaimer; I do not own Warriors.**

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He was so incredibly nervous.

Sandstorm was padding beside him, looking as calm and unsuspecting as could be. StarClan, she had no idea what was coming.

Had lying to her really been a good idea?

Of course it had, a part of him seemed to say. Any loyal cat would have reported something like that to their leader.

Yet another part of him yowled for him to whisper to her to lead them astray, pretend she couldn't find the flame-colored cat, or mislead him in some other way. Yet again, stubborn as she was, Dustpelt doubted that Sandstorm would listen until he had explained _why _he wanted her to act this way.

It was like two cats living in one body; one part of him insisted that this was the wrong way to go about winning Sandstorm's love, and the other was convinced that no other way would do. In the end, it all boiled down to her.

"Here we are," she looked up at the wooden Twoleg fence. "Up and over."

Sandstorm scaled the obstruction without difficulty, hopping down and landing without sound on the other side. Dustpelt glanced back a the forest behind him before hurrying after her.

He knew what that forest held. She did not. He knew what was going to happen next. She did not.

But how else could he ever hope to have Sandstorm as his mate, if he did not follow through with the plan?

---

Fireheart was settled beside Graystripe, watching his sister's remaining kit sleep soundly, curled up in it's mother's long-furred tail.

"I couldn't let them take them both," Princess shook her head sadly. "I didn't think it would be so hard."

"It'll be alright, Princess," Smudge attempted to comfort the she-cat. "You still have your son."

Fireheart spared a glance at Graystripe, who was watching the kit sleep. His eyes held a hint of anger, and Fireheart guessed that it was directed at Princess' Twoelgs.

"I didn't think they would take them so soon," she went on. "Fireheart and I were with our mother longer, don't you remember, Fireheart?"

He nodded, though he did not remember.

"Maybe I did something wrong," she despaired. "Perhaps they thought my mothering wasn't good enough."

"Don't say that," Smudge insisted. "You've been a fine mother."

"Fireheart!"

Startled slightly by the sudden yowl, Fireheart turned quickly to find Sandstorm padding across the yard.

"Graystripe," she called, "you're alright?"

"Yeah," he meowed back. "I'm fine. What are you -?"

Graystripe stopped himself, and at the same moment, the two toms noticed a second figure. Dustpelt was perched on the fence, staring across the yard at the group.

In seconds, both warriors were on their paws.

"Princess, you and the kit go inside," Fireheart warned, "Smudge, go with her."

"Fireheart?" Princess wondered aloud. "Who are these cats?"

"I thought you knew that she-cat, Fireheart," Smudge said. "Didn't you say she was no harm to us?"

Fireheart's eyes widened with horror when the figures kept coming. Dustpelt was already padding over to join them when several more cats leapt up onto the fence. Darkstripe, Longtail, and several cats that were not from ThunderClan appeared, though Fireheart thought quickly to recognize them. Blackclaw was one he knew, a warrior from RiverClan. Loudbelly was another RiverClan cat he had seen at Gatherings. The final tom remained a mystery to him, but he was sure that he was also from RiverClan.

"Sandstorm, look out!"

Graystripe's cry came a moment too late, because the five cats jumped down from the fence and charged. Sandstorm looked back, but was not quite fast enough and was sent sprawling to the ground by Loudbelly. Fireheart had no time to warn Princess and Smudge again, because he was quickly drawn into battle with Darkstripe. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Graystripe locked in battle with Blackclaw, but it quickly became an unfair fight when Longtail stepped in.

Darkstripe was not in the mood to talk, it seemed. There were no snide comments, no quick insults. If this wasn't a fight to the death, Fireheart wasn't sure what was.

"Get away from her!"

Fireheart heard Dustpelt's cry, and managed to spot him charging a RiverClan cat who had latched itself onto Sandstorm. Who's side was he on?

Fireheart's concern for his friends proved to be his downfall in the fight. In this moment of distraction, Darkstripe suddenly pinned him, and his jaws quickly closed over his throat. Fireheart's eyes closed tightly, and he waited for the finishing bite.

It didn't come.

"Not going to kill me after all, Darkstripe?" He managed, though he could not hide the fear he felt in such a vunerable position. He couldn't risk retaliating; Darkstripe was far too close to killing him for him to risk it.

"Don't test me, kittypet," the tom snarled back. "Tigerstar wants to see you personally before you die."

Out of the corner of his eye, Fireheart spotted Graystripe racing towards him.

"Not another step!" Darkstripe shouted, never moving his jaws from above Fireheart's throat. "Unless you have a death wish for your friend."

Graystripe halted in his tracks. Across the yard, Sandstorm was writhing beneath Loudbelly, the unfamiliar RiverClan cat standing over her exposed throat. Longtail was watching Graystripe from behind, probably ready to spring if the gray tom tried anything. Princess was backed up against the only tree in the yard, crouched over her squealing kit. Smudge was standing in front of them, eyes locked on Blackclaw, who was rooted in front of the flap that Smudge normally used to enter his Twolegs' nest. Dustpelt, he noted, was nowhere to be seen.

"Now," Darkstripe ordered, staring at Graystripe, "if you want him to see another sunrise, you'll follow Longtail back to ThunderClan camp."

"What do you want?" Graystripe hissed. "What could you possibly need us so badly for?"

"You'll find out soon enough," Darkstripe answered. Longtail walked up and bumped Graystripe's flank.

"Come on," he urged. "I have orders."

"That's all you do?" He snapped at his Clanmate. "Follow orders? Don't you ever stop and wonder if what you're doing is right?"

Longtail said nothing.

"There's a queen and her kit you're terrorizing!" He cried. "Haven't you spared a thought to them?"

"Enough!" Darkstripe cried, raising his head and pressing down a paw of unsheathed claws onto his neck. "Don't waste anymore time, or Tigerstar isn't going to be pleased."

Longtail motioned for Graystripe to move again, and reluctantly, the gray tom obeyed.

As Graystripe was led away, awful thoughts began to cross Fireheart's mind. What if more cats were waiting beyond that fence? What if Tigerstar had turned all of ThunderClan against them? RiverClan cats were here; did that mean he had the support of _two _Clans?

His main fear was plain in his mind. If they were going to have to face Tigerclaw; no, Tiger_star,_ he prayed that StarClan would allow them to face him together.

---

Graystripe padded over burnt ground, Dustpelt in front and Longtail behind. He could handle the disloyalty of Longtail, but Dustpelt was throwing him off. He believed Fireheart's story, and that left him with the conclusion that Dustpelt was with Tigerstar. However, he had personally witnessed Dustpelt fighting off one of Sandstorm's attackers. Then he had vanished, only to reappear when Longtail had gotten him over the fence.

"So, Dustpelt," Graystripe began, as if this were any casual conversation, "who are you fighting for, anyway?"

"That's none of your business."

"I could have swore I saw you fighting a RiverClan cat out there," he went on, "but here you are, leading me away like some sort of prisoner."

"You _are _a prisoner," Dustpelt confirmed, "until further notice."

"Prisoners generally commit crimes," he growled. "It would be so helpful of you to tell me what exactly we've done to deserve this."

"You'll find out soon enough," he echoed Darkstripe. "Tigerstar will make it all quite clear for you."

A sudden, heart-wrenching cry reached his ears, and Graystripe's heart sunk. The sound wasn't Fireheart, but he couldn't tell whether it belonged to Sandstorm or Princess.

"Darkstripe said he wouldn't hurt them if I came quietly," Graystripe stated. "What's that noise?"

"Darkstripe promised that he would not _kill_," Longtail piped up. "He only promised he would not kill _Fireheart. _He never mentioned the rest of them."

Graystripe's mind spun with images of Sandstorm's blood soaking into the ground, and then Princess lying motionless, her kit wailing by her side.

He could hear words, but they were quickly fading as he got farther from Smudge's yard. The distressed tones seemed more likely to come from Princess; Graystripe doubted Sandstorm would react to harm in any way but fighting back. It didn't matter; he could do nothing to help them, regardless of who the voice belonged to. Soon, he could hear nothing but the constant sounds of their pawsteps.

* * *

Rising action! I'm estimating that this will around 5-10 chapters longer, but we'll just have to see.

Reviews are great!


	26. Trial

92 reviews =D I never thought I'd get this close to 100 so fast. We've still got close to 10 chapters to go, too!

**Disclaimer; I own nothing! There aren't even any original characters in this fic for me to claim.**

* * *

Where were they taking her? This was a different way than they had directed Graystripe and Fireheart. They were taking her through Treecut Place, but what could possibly be past there? She thought quickly, and came to one conclusion. Past Treecut Place and the river lie RiverClan territory.

"Where's Dustpelt?" She demanded. "I want to know where he is!"

"It is not my job to keep track of Dustpelt," Loudbelly said in a monotone voice.

"Dustpelt isn't going to be saving you," Blackclaw sneered. "His noble little run for help won't do any good. His own leader's behind all this!"

_Tigerstar. _

Sandstorm, overcome with feelings of betrayal and anger, spun around and flew past Blackclaw. She was going back to ThunderClan, she was going to find Fireheart, Graystripe and Dustpelt, and they were going to find the truth themselves.

"Not so fast!"

Both cats were suddenly atop her. She crashed to the ground, head spinning.

"Think you're a WindClan cat?" Blackclaw laughed, a sound that made Sandstorm sick.

"We have orders not to hurt you," Loudbelly mentioned, "but you must come with us."

_I'll do whatever I please! _Sandstorm bit back the comment, getting to her paws. Against her very nature, she turned back towards RiverClan territory and walked.

---

The Clan was clustered around the Highrock when Fireheart arrived. Tigerstar was perched atop it, looking satisfied. Cats gasped at the sight of him; most of them probably hadn't expected to see him return, even if it was unwillingly. Some looked on in shame, others in anger, but most of them in genuine surprise. He guessed that most of his Clanmates didn't know what to make of what was happening. Darkstripe was padding beside him, Princess' kit dangling in his jaws. He led Fireheart to the center of the group, where a circle of space had formed around Graystripe, as if the Clan were afraid to approach him. Perhaps they had been ordered not to.

Fireheart padded up beside him, locking eyes with the gray tom. Darkstripe dropped the tiny white kit unceremoniously, and it let out a squeak when it plopped onto the ground. Fireheart could not hold back a hiss, and pulled the kit closer to him with a forepaw.

"Cats of ThunderClan!" Tigerstar called. "We have waited a long time for the answers we will receive this night. Before us stand Graystripe and Fireheart, two former cats of ThunderClan."

"_Former?"_ Graystripe suddenly burst. "Fireheart and I have more ThunderClan in our hearts than could ever be in yours!"

Tigerstar laughed. "Say whatever you'd like, Graystripe. You're actions have spoken louder."

"They haven't done anything!" Fireheart recognized the voice instantly, and spotted Cinderpaw in the crowd. "You must listen!"

"Cinderpaw!" He called out, but the gray she-cat kept her eyes on Tigerstar.

"Cinder_pelt, _Fireheart," Tigerstar chuckled. "If you're so much more _ThunderClan _than I am, how is it you don't even know your own Clanmate's name?"

"It's your fault!" Graystripe cried, and this time he was batted over the head by Darkstripe, grudgingly falling into silence.

"The time for judgement has come, hasn't it, ThunderClan?" Tigerstar asked, and around half of the cats called out, cheering. There were still quite a few who seemed unsure of how to react, or who to believe. "Graystripe, who broke the warrior code by seeing a cat from RiverClan, placing his own duties as a warrior aside for this she-cat. On top of this, he assisted in the escape of Fireheart, who murdered Silverstream out of jealousy," he finished. "These things are what you have been accused of. Do either of you wish to defend yourselves?"

"I can defend them!" Cinderpelt called again. "For StarClan's sake, Tigerstar, listen to me!"

The tabby swiveled his head towards her. "Cinderpelt?"

"What proof do you have that it was Fireheart who killed Silverstream? If he truly did it, why would Graystripe still be willing to help him?"

"His fur was found between her claws," he stated calmly. "He ran from the scene, and then from his Clan. Since when have innocent cats ran from their Clanmates?"

"Graystripe wouldn't be anywhere near Fireheart if he had done it," she went on. "Can you explain that?"

"I cannot explain Graystripe's thoughts and logic," Tigerstar stated. "Though I will gladly listen, if you have anything else to say."

Cinderpelt looked desperate, but she had no words.

"ThunderClan, what do you suppose we do with these traitors?"

Most cats did not answer, but a clustered group repeatedly yowled 'exile'. What difference would it make if he was officially exiled or not? He hadn't lived with his Clanmates in StarClan only knew how long. A few cats chanted for death, and he noted that one of the voices belonged to an elder. He couldn't help but cringe that a few of their own Clanmates would consider killing them.

"I first," Tigerstar began, "must consult Crookedstar about their fates. He deserves a say in what happens to his daughter's killer."

Fireheart dug his claws into the ground. He had never so much as laid a claw on Silverstream, yet there was no way to convince those that didn't believe him. He could hardly handle the injustice of it all.

"For now, they will be kept in my den. When I return," he sent a meaningful look into the crowd, "I expect to find two, fully unharmed cats. They will be guarded at all times, which will be overseen by Darkstripe."

Tigerstar leapt down from the Highrock, and the two of them were roughly shouldered into the den. Fireheart hardly had time to snatch up Princess' kit before he was pushed through the lichen.

"Wait," he called back through the dangling plants. "I have a kit with me!"

Longtail, one of his gaurds, looked back, but paid no mind. It was Whitestorm, the second guard, who turned and stuck his head inside.

"I don't know what's really happened with you two," he mumbled, "but for now I can only wait for answers."

He grabbed the kit in his jaws.

"Where will you take him?" Fireheart inquired.

"To Cinderpelt," he said through a bit of fur, vanishing through the lichen. Fireheart felt slightly better, knowing that Cinderpelt would be caring for the kit. He could trust her to keep him safe.

Fireheart looked over at his friend, who's head was lowered, and his eyes closed.

"I'm sorry, Fireheart," he whispered, and Fireheart wasn't sure why he was being so quiet. "If only I had listened to you."

"What are you talking about?"

"You said seeing Silverstream was a bad idea," he went on. "You said it yourself. Now look at us."

"Don't do that," He meowed, moving close enough to touch his nose briefly into the other tom's flank. "This isn't your fault. Tigerstar's the one doing this."

"I know," Graystripe said, not sounding any less miserable, "but don't you see? I gave Tigerstar the opportunity he had probably been waiting for. I _gave_ it to him. Tigerstar may be doing this to us, but I'm the one who gave him the chance to."

To Fireheart's surprise, Graystripe draped his tail around him. The two of them were seated as close as possible, and Graystripe suddenly turned and stared into his eyes.

"I'm sorry this happened, Fireheart," he leaned in and touched noses with him. "I'm so sorry."

* * *

I'm not really happy with this chapter's length, and the next two aren't much longer. Sorry about that; it seems as the action gets more intense, the chapters get shorter -_-' [does that even make sense? Must be my need to end intense chapters with some sort of suspense].

And just so it's clear; when Blackclaw mentions Dustpelt's 'noble little run for help', he's lying to her. Dustpelt, clearly, didn't run for help at all, but made it seem like he did to decieve Sandstorm.


	27. Plotting

As a note; I don't think the Twoleg nest on RiverClan territory is abandoned in the books...but it is here. It was never really stated whether or not Twolegs actually live there...and if it was, I must have missed it.

Oh! Also, so this is clear; Sandstorm is currently quite confused on who Dustpelt is sided with. Her captor's have talked about him like he isn't one of them, and, to her knowledge, he 'ran off to get help'. So...her opinion on Dustpelt is sort of up in the air right now.

**Disclaimer; I've never claimed to own Warriors, and I don't plan on ever being able to.**

* * *

Sandstorm paced the wooden floor, her tail lashing angrily. How _dare _they. How dare they bring her here. Trapped inside an abandoned Twoleg nest like some lost kittypet.

"Let me out," she turned and faced the larger of the two toms. "Or I'll shred you both."

Blackclaw laughed. "You'll do nothing like that. You've tried," he turned towards Loudbelly. "I'll be back. I need to grab a bite of prey. I'll bring you back something, too."

Sandstorm was glad he hadn't offered to bring her anything. She wouldn't have touched it.

The black tom got up and padded away, and Sandstorm could hear his pawsteps on the creaky wooden ground until he was gone.

"I'm sorry."

Sandstorm looked up.

"I wasn't supposed to help," Loudbelly meowed. "I don't want this."

"Then what in StarClan's name are you doing it for?" Sandstorm returned. "Is Crookedstar putting you all up to this?"

"No!" Loudbelly rushed. "No, Crookedstar is an honorable cat. I…I was, too, at one point."

"Well?" Sandstorm snapped. "You're not doing anything to get back that honor by keeping me here."

"Blackclaw would find you. He's sure this will get him what he wants."

"What _does_ he want?"

Loudbelly hesitated. "I shouldn't tell you this."

"I'll make you a deal," Sandstorm reasoned. "Let me go, and I won't tell anyone."

"If I keep you here, you can't tell anyone either."

"Yes, and when you reach StarClan, what will they think of you?" Sandstorm retorted.

The tom was silent. Then, he sighed.

"Blackclaw wants revenge on Graystripe because he wanted Silverstream as his own mate."

Sandstorm's eyes widened a bit. "He did?"

"Yes, but it's not what you think," Loudbelly went on. "He didn't love her. He only wanted Crookedstar to choose him as deputy. He thought that having Crookedstar's daughter as his mate would give him the attention he needed. He's already a strong warrior, a good mentor…"

"But Crookedstar already has a deputy."

"Yes," Loudbelly said, "I don't know what he planned to do about that."

Sandstorm chose not to think about it. "So that's why he's helping you?"

"No, I'm helping him," Loudbelly corrected, "against my better judgement. He managed to convince me to come along, but I still can't see how what Tigerstar's doing is right…"

"So, are you going to help me?" Sandstorm asked. "You don't have to follow Tigerstar, or Blackclaw. They don't have to know that you freed me, either."

"How would they not know?" Loudbelly asked.

"Tell them I escaped," she said. "Tell them I managed to slip past you and ran."

Loudbelly closed his eyes for a moment, thinking. When he opened them, he looked determined.

"Alright," he meowed, "but be quick. If Blackclaw catches you, there is nothing I can do."

---

Everything had fallen into place. Graystripe and Fireheart were his, Sandstorm was out of the way, courtesty of Dustpelt, and the Clan believed his every word. Even the cats who remained undecided stayed loyal to him because he was their leader.

Now, all that was left to do was take care of RiverClan, and he would have half of the four Clans under his control.

"Crookedstar!"

RiverClan cats all around camp turned their heads to look. Leopardfur in particular caught his eye, the spotted she-cat imidiately getting to her paws and approaching him.

"You're here to speak with Crookedstar?" She inquired. He nodded, and she motioned for him to follow her.

"He's in his den," She said.

"Have you been following my orders?" He whispered, not looking towards her.

The she-cat nodded. "Based on my knowledge, once more should do it."

This improved Tigerstar's mood even more. His control would soon extend to RiverClan.

"He hasn't been feeling well," she meowed at a normal volume.

"Shall I bring him something before we speak?" Tigerstar suggested.

"No," Leopardfur shook her head, "it isn't your duty. Come with me; I shall get him something. Perhaps Mudfur will want a few herbs delivered to him, as well."

Leopardfur snatched up a fish from a pile of them and headed towards a tangle of reeds. She pushed through them, Tigerstar following, and revealed an area that seemed like a medicine den.

"They're hidden in the mud," Leopardfur whispered, pointing with her tail. "There. I'll fetch Mudfur; be quick."

Tigerstar wasted no time. He pushed aside the mud with one paw and revealed several bright red berries. Pushing them along with his paw, he guided them into the fish's open mouth. Only two of them fit, but he assumed that those would be enough. The remaining two berries he hid again, under the mud. Quickly, he washed his paws of any poison he might have gotten onto them, and of mud. He heard rustling in the reeds and turned around.

"Oh yes, I'm sure he'll be pleased," Mudfur was meowing. "Take it to him; I haven't seen him eat all day."

"Hello, Mudfur," he dipped his head. The medicine cat repeated the gesture, while Leopardfur motioned for him to follow her. She picked up the fish in her jaws, and Tigerstar noted how careful she was being to keep the mouth of it upturned.

The two of them padded towards the RiverClan leader's den, where the tom was lying in wait, unsuspecting of what his deputy and fellow leader had planned for him.

---

"What _is _that?"

"A kit, Speckletail," Cinderpelt said impatiently, settling down the mewling kit. "I thought you would know that, being the oldest nursery queen."

"Oldest?" Speckletail snapped. "_Wisest _is more like it."

Cinderpelt rolled her eyes and ignored the snappy she-cat. The only reason she was being so difficult was because she didn't like Fireheart, and therefore, didn't like the little tom by association.

"Brindleface, I have a favor to ask of you," she began. "Your kits are still young. Would you mind nursing this one, at least until we decide what to do with him?"

"Don't take the scrap, Brindleface," Speckletail piped up. "He'll only be trouble."

"He's a kit!" Cinderpelt growled.

"She's right," Brindleface nodded. "No kit deserves to starve, and that's what will happen if I don't take him in."

"You'll do it?" Cinderpelt asked.

The she-cat nodded, draping her tail around the kit and guiding him to her belly.

"I can't refuse. He's only a kit."

Cinderpelt was relieved. She didn't know what she would have done if Brindleface would have said no. She would have needed to speak with Fireheart, and she was fairly certain that talking with 'prisoners' wasn't allowed. She needed a way to free them herself, if the Clan wouldn't believe her. Exiting the den and looking around, she spotted the only cat she could think of that would help her.

"Brackenpaw!" She called. Her brother quickly made his way over. "I need your help."

"With what?"

"You'll see," she whispered. "I need you to be on guard duty for Fireheart and Graystripe tonight. Can you do that?"

"Sure," he said. "Anyone special that should be with me?"

"Someone who doesn't believe the rumors," she said. "Or at least someone who doesn't know what to make of them."

_Sandstorm,_ she thought suddenly_. Sandstorm; that's perfect!_ Scanning the clearing, she realized something that made her blue eyes darken with concern. She hadn't seen the ginger she-cat in awhile, and she still didn't spot her, even as her Clanmates were scattered around camp, going about their duties.

Where was she_?_

* * *

Reviews are even better than usual; 5 left to go before the 100 mark!


	28. Escape

**Disclaimer; I do not own Warriors.**

* * *

Her paws pounding, chest heaving, Sandstorm continued to run.

She had began running as soon as she had left the abandoned Twoleg nest, and hadn't stopped since. She had already passed through the river, and was entering Treecut Place again.

_StarClan, I hope they're at camp._

She didn't know where else to head. Loudbelly hadn't given her any leads, but at least he had given her freedom. As angry as she was for being captured, she had to admit that he wasn't a bad cat. He had even admitted it himself; he was simply a cat who had made bad decisions.

What concerned her more than anything was Dustpelt's involvement in the attack. He had tried to help her in the battle at Smudge's yard, and had told her he was going for help. Yet, no help had ever arrived, and she hadn't seen him since.

Where was he? If she found him, could he be trusted?

---

Fireheart's ears pricked.

Sleepily, he opened his eyes and looked around the den. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. So what was that sound he kept hearing?

There it was again. Quietly getting to his paws, Fireheart turned around. Yes, the sound was definitely coming from outside the den, almost like a soft whisper.

"Graystripe," he whispered, prodding the tom with his paw. He stirred, and with a couple more nudges, opened his eyes.

"Huh?" He mumbled.

"Listen," he said. "Can you hear anything?"

The tom was silent, and Fireheart saw his ears prick when the sound resumed.

"It sounds kind of like talking."

"Who would be talking now?" Fireheart asked. The forest was enveloped in the darkness of night, and every cat, save for the two guards, was asleep.

"I don't know," Graystripe meowed, getting to his paws. Suddenly, Fireheart's eyes warmed with happy surprise when Cinderpelt stuck her head through the lichen.

"Come on," she whispered.

"Wait, what?" Graystripe asked. "Where are we going?"

"No time!" Cinderpelt meowed urgently. "Tigerstar could wake up at any moment."

As Fireheart followed her out of the den, he noticed that the two guards were Brackenpaw and Whitestorm. The two of them were blatantly turning a blind eye to the escaping prisoners. Brackenpaw caught his eye and whispered.

"StarClan be with you."

Whitestorm turned his head and nodded.

Fireheart, warmed by their actions, dipped his head and hurried to catch up with Cinderpelt and Graystripe. Just as they were about to leave camp, Fireheart halted in his tracks.

"Wait," he whispered.

His two friends watched as he padded quietly towards the nursery.

"What are you doing?" Cinderpelt whispered harshly. "Don't go in there!"

Fireheart ignored her. If they were leaving, he was taking Princess' kit with him. It was all his fault that her kit had been taken away from her, and it was his responsibility to keep the little tom safe.

Fireheart carefully stepped over Willowpelt, and a pang of regret nagged at him when he saw her. Willowpelt had not been in the nursery last time he had been to ThunderClan camp. He had missed Sandstorm's ceremony, Cinderpelt going to Moonstone, now this. Life continued on, with or without him.

Fireheart leaned down and grabbed the little white kit by the scruff, hoping not to wake him. His wish was wasted, as the small tom responded with a loud squeak. From across the den, a cat stirred, but he dared not move and see who.

"Quiet, kits…" Speckletail's voice mumbled sleepily. The tom let out another cry, and Fireheart, decided the kit was only going to continue to give him away, and backed up quickly, stepping on Willowpelt's tail. The she-cat jolted to life with a yowl.

"What are you doing?" Graystripe suddenly appeared at the nursery entrance. "Come on!"

Willowpelt had recovered and locked eyes with him, an unsure expression on her face. Slowly, she turned her head to face Graystripe.

"What's going on?" She mumbled, sounding confused.

"Can't a cat get -?" Speckletail suddenly cut off, her eyes locked on Fireheart. Slowly, he finished backing out of the den.

Then, the old queen burst.

"The prisoners are escaping! Fireheart, Graystripe, getting away!"

Graystripe turned and sped on his heels. Fireheart hurried after him, the kit dangling in his jaws.

"Go, run!" Cinderpelt called after them.

He could still hear Speckletail yowling, and the distinct voice of Darkstripe. He glanced over at Graystripe, who was looking forward, slightly ahead of him. His paws pounded the ground beneath him as he fled, Princess' kit dangling from his mouth.

"Faster!" Graystripe meowed urgently. "Someone's behind us!"

Then, they burst through the forest and reached Sunningrocks, the crunching of dead leaves and plants beneath them turning to smooth uneven pebbles. Fireheart slowed down, but Graystripe plunged into the river without a second thought.

"Come on!" He called, but Fireheart halted at the water's edge. He had Princess' kit to worry about; how could he focus on swimming and keeping the little tom above water?

A yowl from the edge of the forest was enough persuasion to dive in, and, keeping his head as far above water as possible, he paddled.

"Darkstripe, Longtail, Runningwind; after them! Dustpelt, come with me!"

Fireheart swam faster than ever at the sound of Tigerstar's voice. The sounds of more cats splashing into the river only pushed him to go faster, and up ahead, Graystripe was dragging himself out of the water, pelt soaked and dripping.

Fireheart followed shortly after, scrambling up onto the rocks, the two of the taking off again. This time, Fireheart was the faster one; Graystripe's sagging pelt clearly weighing him down.

"This way!" Fireheart cried through fur, swerving. They were already too far from Twolegplace, and heading in the opposite direction. Their best hope was to run straight into WindClan territory, and hope that their pursuers would have too much respect for borders to follow.

---

"Leopardfur!"

"Is there a reason you feel you can barge into my Clan's camp whenever you please?" The she-cat asked. "What could you possibly need now?"

Tigerstar ignored the she-cat's standoffishness, for he knew it to be an act. She needed to appear strong and stable in her new time of leadership; especially since she had not yet received her nine lives. Not long ago, it had been he in that situation.

"Fireheart and Graystripe have escaped," Tigerstar spoke quickly, "they are on your territory."

Leopardfur's eyes widened. "Trespassing?"

Tigerstar nodded. "Three of my warriors are after them. I do hope you will excuse their intrusion."

"Stonefur!" She suddenly called. "Gather up a few warriors; there are two intruders in our territory."

The gray tom nodded, hurrying off.

"When we find them," Leopardfur began more quietly, "because we _will_ find them; what shall we do with them?"

Tigerstar narrowed his eyes. "I've had enough of these games. Kill them both."

---

Sandstorm burst into camp, searching determinedly for anyone who might be able to give her answers. She didn't see Dustpelt, Fireheart, Graystripe…not even any of their attackers.

"Sandstorm!" Cinderpelt limped over. "Where have you been?"

"Captured," she meowed quickly. Ignoring Cindepelt's look of confusion and shock, she went on. "No time to explain; where are Fireheart and Graystripe?"

"Gone," she said, "they were being held prisoner, but they escaped."

Sandstorm sighed, but the relief was only temporary. "Where's Dustpelt?"

"Gone," she repeated, "Tigerstar ordered him and a few other cats after them."

"Well, where are they?" She rushed, anxious to reach them.

"They went towards Sunningrocks," she pointed with her tail, "but I don't know exactly where they are."

"Thanks," she meowed quickly, turning and taking off in that direction.

"Wait!"

She halted, feeling impatient. She had to get going!

"I'm coming with you."

"What?" Sandstorm looked back at her. "You can't, that's -"

"I can, and I will," she said, blue eyes staring into hers. "Whether you bring me with you or not, I am going."

Sandstorm sighed, knowing that it would now take longer to reach their destination. Sandstorm did her best to remember that Cinderpelt's injury was not her fault; she could do nothing about it, and it was not something Sandstorm could blame her for.

"Well, come on, then," she turned and took off at a brisk pace. "To Sunningrocks."

* * *

The first reviewer is reviewer 100!

I think that's the most convincing reason I've given for reviewing, all 28 chapters...


	29. Battle

100 reviews! =D My goal has been accomplished! Thanks to everyone who helped =] The 100th reviewer was; **dude1094.**

Congrats! And PM me with what pairing [or friendship, it doesn't really matter] you'd like your story to be about [as long as it's Warriors, there's no restrictions]....whether it's a one-shot or just a short story, I haven't yet decided -_-;

**Disclaimer; Clearly, I do not own Warriors...or anything else important, for that matter.**

* * *

Darkstripe's eyes were widened with excitement, each rapid pawstep bringing him closer to his goal. Fireheart and Graystripe seemed to be unaware of the fate that awaited them, and that fact only pushed Darkstripe onward.

"We can't keep this up, Darkstripe!" Longtail cried. "We have to let them go!"

"No!" Darkstripe snapped. "It'll only be a short while longer!"

He could tell that his Clanmate was skeptical, but knew Longtail would not break from the chase alone. Facing Tigerstar's anger with your Clanmates was one thing, but all of it directed at you was quite another; a fact that Darkstripe knew quite well.

Up ahead, he spotted something that filled him with delight. Fireheart and Graystripe had reached what Darkstripe had been waiting for. There would be no more running, no more games.

They had reached the falls, and there was nowhere else to go.

---

Fireheart watched his friend, who was running up and down along the deep, wide river edge, yellow eyes round with fear.

"We're stuck," he mumbled, "there's no way around it."

Fireheart set the kit down at his paws. "Get away from there, Graystripe."

"I'm not going to fall."

"Just back up, please," he repeated. The gray tom hesitated, but backed away from the threatening edge.

"We have to turn and fight," Fireheart meowed. "The only way out is back the way we came."

"What about the kit?" Graystripe asked.

"I won't let anything happen to him," Fireheart answered.

"We're outnumbered, Fireheart," he meowed. "We need to hide him if we're going to keep him safe."

Somewhere close behind them, a cat let out a battle cry. Fireheart's hopes plummeted.

"There's no time," he meowed, unable to keep the despair from entering his voice. Graystripe was staring behind him, eyes wide and jaw slightly agape. Fireheart closed his eyes.

"How many, Graystripe?"

"I don't know," he mumbled, "Darkstripe, Longtail, Runningwind…Dustpelt too. They're all spreading out."

"Cornering us."

"Not like we aren't already cornered," Graystripe pointed out. "Tigerstar's almost caught up with them. Leopardfur's with him."

"What's she doing here?"

"He's got RiverClan on his side, I'd say."

"Why isn't Crookedstar with him, then?"

"I don't know," Graystripe answered. "I'd say Crookedstar is the least of our problems, though. Leopardfur looks like she's brought half of RiverClan with her."

Fireheart didn't want to look; he didn't want to know. He didn't want to see their fate. There was no escape from so many cats. None at all.

"Stonefur, you will accompany me in battle," he could hear Leopardfur shouting. "The rest of you; stay back unless I order you!"

"Runningwind, run back and gather up ThunderClan's warriors," Tigerstar was commanding. "Darkstripe, Longtail, Dustpelt; we have unfinished business to settle."

"I'm sorry, Graystripe," Fireheart whispered. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't be," the gray tom padded closer and nuzzled him, much to Fireheart's surprise. "I've already told you this is my fault; don't interrupt, I can tell you want to. There isn't any place I'd rather be right now than beside you."

"Graystripe -"

"I'm being serious," Graystripe went on. "I don't know what I feel anymore, Fireheart. Everything's been so confusing since this started. I just want you to know, if anything happens to you during this battle, I can't keep going. I don't know what that means. All I know is that I've lost everything that matters to me, except you. I can't lose you."

"Stop!"

Graystripe stopped, and Fireheart whipped around at the voice. Between they and their attackers stood Sandstorm and Cinderpelt.

"The violence must end here," Cinderpelt growled, and Fireheart had never heard her sound more threatening.

"Out of the way, Cinderpelt," Tigerstar padded slowly towards her.

"I cannot allow this," she went on. "You know as well as I do that StarClan would never approve."

"This is for the good of the Clan; both my own _and _Leopardfur's."

"They're innocent!" Cinderpelt cried. "You're willing to slay two innocent warriors and a harmless kit for 'the good of the Clan'?"

"I am willing to do anything that I must for my Clan, Cinderpelt," Tigerstar hissed, patience thinning. Fireheart repressed a growl. _Lies! _

"Then turn around, Tigerstar," she demanded, "and go home."

Tigerstar's amber eyes bore into Fireheart's former apprentice, yet the she-cat did not flinch. His expression showed that he had grown tired of her attempts to persuade him.

"Attack."

At his word, Darkstripe, Longtail, and Dustpelt rushed forward. Leopardfur obeyed his command as well, signaling for Stonefur to follow. Fireheart huddled over Princess' kit and poised to defend him at any cost.

The hissing and yowling of battle drown out all sounds, the feeling of adrenaline flooding through his body gave him the feeling of invincibility. For a moment, the knowledge of the dismal odds they faced was lost on him. All that remained was himself, Graystripe, and a small scrap of fur, squealing with fear beneath him.

---

Sandstorm spotted Tigerstar racing towards Fireheart almost immidiately. All of the feelings she had done her best to shove aside swelled up again, and her claws instinctively unsheathed. In a flash, she tackled the large tom to the ground. He hissed, rolling and pinning her, and battered her face once with his claws, tearing at her fur and skin.

"I'll have to speak with Blackclaw about you once this is over," he spoke. "He's displeased me. You _should_ be in RiverClan territory."

"They tried keeping me there," she answered, "Blackclaw and Loudbelly. Too bad I'm too clever for your dimwitted followers, Tigerstar."

"You didn't have to die," Tigerstar growled. "You were the one cat who had a chance at living."

"I don't plan on dying," Sandstorm hissed back, "especially not by your claws."

Tigerstar pressed his long claws to her neck. "Spoken too soon, Sandstorm."

"_Liar!_"

Sandstorm's eyes widened as Tigerstar was thrown off of her by something. Some_one. _

"Dustpelt!" She meowed, unsure how she should feel to see him.

"You're a liar!" Dustpelt snarled, ignoring her completely and charging at Tigerstar. "You said she wouldn't be hurt!"

"That was my side of the deal," Tigerstar snapped, "unfortunately, you and Blackclaw failed to keep yours. Since you couldn't keep Sandstorm in RiverClan territory, I might just let my claws slip."

Sandstorm got to her paws, the two toms lunging at each other. Sandstorm merely watched the fight for a moment, unsure of what to do. Then, Tigerstar broke away, racing in the opposite direction. Dustpelt sprinted after him, and Sandstorm's rounded green eyes followed. The two crashed into battle once more, and it looked like Dustpelt had somehow managed to get the advantage, pinning the larger tom. Suddenly it became clear to Sandstorm that the move had been a trick, that Tigerstar had allowed Dustpelt to tackle him. With a victorious expression, he thrust his hind legs into Dustpelt's belly and flung him over the top of him. The brown tom let out a yowl of surprise and disappeared into the gorge.

Sandstorm's paws seemed to carry her without her consent. Tigerstar looked back with a satisfied expression and charged back into the fray.

"_Dustpelt!"_ She cried, finally reaching the edge. She paid no mind to the cats behind her, who could break away from their battles at any moment and push her to her death. Daring to look over the edge, she spotted Dustpelt, not plummeting helplessly, as she had imagined, but clinging to the rocky side of the falls, a look of desperation in his eyes.

"Sandstorm!" He called up. She leaned over the side without hesitation, reaching out with her paws, hoping to snag him with her claws and pull him up.

"I won't let you fall," she told him, leaning farther. "Come on!"

Dustpelt looked like he wanted to reach up, or at least try to climb forward, but fear held him back.

"Come on," she mumbled again, more to herself than anyone else. Dustpelt reached up with one paw, only to suddenly slide backwards. She hurried to lean forward and catch him, and the sudden movement sent her falling forward. She let out a surprised and fearful yowl before something grabbed hold of her tail, yanking her backwards and onto land once more. Dustpelt had still been desperately trying to steady his descent down the rocky side, but his weight had sent him falling slowly backwards.

Sandstorm's last image of Dustpelt was to be of him scrambling to reach her, as he always had been.

* * *

And so Dustpelt reaches his end...his life being quite a pitiful circle of chasing Sandstorm and repeatedly failing. [A bit despressing, actually...]

Reviews keep the battle moving quickly.


	30. Fallen

Not much to say...the intensity in this chapter _hopefully _exceeds anything you've read in 'Distorted Reality' so far.

**Disclaimer; I own nothing. That includes Warriors.**

* * *

Cinderpelt pulled with all of her might, until she felt Sandstorm's body resting safely on solid ground. Only then did she release the other she-cat's tail.

"Dustpelt!" She cried. "_Dustpelt!"_

"He's gone, Sandstorm," Cinderpelt meowed. "There's nothing we can do."

"There has to be some way to reach him!" She shouted. "There must be some way down there!"

"It'll be too late regardless," Cinderpelt told her.

"You don't know that!" She argued.

"Sandstorm, nobody survives a fall like that!" Cinderpelt answered, "I'm sorry; Dustpelt's dead."

Sandstorm's eyes burned with denial.

"I don't believe you," she snapped. "I will find a way down there!"

With that, she spun around and raced off, rejoining the fight.

Cinderpelt, filled with sympathy for her friend, limped away; she had a more important job than fighting. Returning to one of the few thickets in the open field, Cinderpelt peered inside to check up on the small, white tom. Until this battle ended, Cinderpelt had sworn she would protect him at all costs. She would not fail.

---

Fireheart threw the other tom off of him, leaping away and readying himself for another attack. Whenever a battle arose, Darkstripe seemed to single him out, as if no other opponent existed.

"You're outnumbered, Fireheart," Darkstripe hissed. "Why don't you just roll over like a good kittypet and let me end this now?"

"You'll have to do more than talk if you want to kill me, Darkstripe," Fireheart answered, and the two charged, meeting in a flurry of claws. Fireheart managed a blow across Darkstripe's face that sent him rolling to the side, where he leapt up and matched Fireheart with a blow of his own. Darkstripe sprang at him suddenly and he crashed into the ground.

"Give up now," he growled, "and I'm sure Tigerstar will make Graystripe's death less painful."

"Neither of you will harm Graystripe," Fireheart snarled.

"Are you so sure?" Darkstripe said, eyes flashing. "It doesn't appear that way."

Alarms went off in Fireheart's mind, and instantly he turned to scan the area for Graystripe. He spotted the gray tom rolling across the grass, locked in battle with Tigerstar.

"Graystr-!" Fireheart's cry was cut short when Darkstripe tackled him from behind, biting down hard on the back of his neck. He twisted and shook himself free, slashing quickly at Darkstripe to keep him at bay while he glanced back to search for Graystripe. The gray tom was still battling Tigerstar, but the two had rolled dangerously close to the falls, and were now staring each other down; Graystripe pressing close to the edge while Tigerstar kept him cornered. Darting to the left or right might work, but there was the chance that Tigerstar would shove him backwards over the edge. Charging headlong into Tigerstar was the safest plan, and throwing yourself at Tigerstar was a strategy that Fireheart hardly considered safe.

"Graystripe!" Fireheart tried to be heard over the sounds of fighting all around him, but his efforts were in vain. Graystripe showed no sign of hearing him, and backed up a step, his paw slipping over the edge. He looked back quickly and steadied himself, while Tigerstar took a step forward, eyes glittering with satisfaction. Then, the tabby raised his paws and reared up, long claws unsheathed, preparing to send Graystripe over the edge and into the falls.

"Graystripe!" He cried again, breaking into a run. In an instant, he had dashed through the fray around him, and slammed into Tigerstar's side. The tom let out a hiss of surprise and the two of them tumbled to the ground, landing in a heap. Fireheart was about to attempt getting to his paws when he felt the ground slip out from underneath him, his claws automatically extending, searching the air for something to grip. The world was spinning, and Fireheart's eyes could hardly keep up. Even Tigerstar seemed to fall away, leaving him alone in this long drop to his death.

"Fireheart!"

The initial panic lingered, but it was slowly being replaced by a strange peacefulness. He couldn't do anything to break his fall, and so his mind wandered. The sight above him captured his focus, for some reason; the clouds rolling across the vast open sky. StarClan's sky; did they know anything of the battle going on beneath their territory?

"Fireheart!"

Graystripe's voice reached his ears, but it did not register as his. Someone was calling for him, but just who the voice belonged to escaped him. Pointless thoughts buzzed in his head, as if his own mind was trying to distract him from the fate he would soon meet. He thought of Princess' kit, the little tom who needed him, who's life had been uprooted due to his own problems. It wasn't fair. That kit needed peace. Needed his mother.

_Cloudkit,_ he thought suddenly. _Cloudkit; Princess will like that._

At that moment, he hit the water.

---

"No!" Graystripe cried, eyes wide with horror as he watched his friend vanish into the waters below. "Fireheart!"

A few fox-lengths away, Darkstripe was staring wide-eyed and open-mouthed at the scene. Leopardfur was reacting in a similar way, but quickly shook it off.

"RiverClan!" She called. "All of you, back to camp! Stonefur, you will remain with me!"

Graystripe heard pawsteps as someone came up behind him.

"Graystripe, get away from there," the voice belonged to Sandstorm. He didn't have the energy to argue, but his paws felt as if he couldn't control them. "Graystripe."

All her urging could not move him. He stared blankly into the waters below, numb. Suddenly, a flame-colored shape bobbed above the water, contrasting the white foam churning in the rapids. The shape moved according to the current, limbs flailing in an attempt to swim. Hope swelled in Graystripe chest. Fireheart was alive.

"He's alive!" Graystripe shouted, "He's still alive, we have to help him!"

"How?" Cinderpelt scrambled to the edge, peering over alongside him. "How could he have survived the fall?"

"Who cares _how?"_ Graystripe exclaimed, "Come on!"

The gray tom turned and raced along the side of the gorge, towards the bridge. He heard Cinderpelt following, her uneven pawsteps hurrying after him. As they approached the bridge, he kept an eye on Fireheart's form, occasionally vanishing beneath the surface, only to reappear moments later.

_Come on,_ he thought, racing onto the bridge and halting at the edge. _I know you can make it!_

Though he was deep in the gorge now, if he could swim upstream, he might be able to make it to the bridge, where Graystripe could grab onto him. However, Fireheart seemed to have made it to the greatest obstacle; the point in the gorge where the torrent from the falls and the current from the river met, resulting in constant, moving water with no real direction. Fireheart was being tossed and dunked in the rapids, and unless he could make it upstream, he would die in them.

"Swim, Fireheart!" He yelled. "You have to swim!"

Cinderpelt soon joined him on the bridge, with Sandstorm not far behind. Graystripe had no time to seek out their enemies; whatever they were doing, it didn't concern him.

In the midst of his shouting, Graystripe failed to notice another shape rising out of the waters, farther back. The shape of a large, dark tabby, who was still very much alive.

* * *

You didn't think it would be that easy, did you?

Get your reviews out now! The last chapter will be somewhere within the next five.


	31. Surface

I'm sure a few of you are going to be upset about this...this chapter, or possibly the one after this, will be the last update around...a week and a few days. I'm going to be going away, and won't have any access to internet the entire time Dx

**Disclaimer; If I owned Warriors, they probably wouldn't let me write short chapters like this one.**

* * *

Water filled his nostrils, flooding his throat each time he parted his jaws. His limbs thrashed wildly, trying desperately to keep from being sucked below the surface. He could hear nothing but the roaring rapids, nor could he tell where he was or where to go. Suddenly, he was yanked beneath the water by the harsh current as it tossed him about beneath the tide.

_StarClan, help me, _he hardly had time to think. _StarClan, don't leave me to die!_

Then, mercifully, he broke the surface again. Gasping for air he scrambled with his paws, attempting to swim, to control where he went. Something passed by him, and his eyes widened at the sight.

Tigerstar.

The powerful tabby had appeared from beneath the waves, propelling himself upstream.

_Follow him._

Fireheart almost didn't hear the faint voice, but it was unmistakably there.

_Maybe it's too late, _he thought frantically. _I'm hearing StarClan; I'm already dying._

Regardless, he took the advice of the whisper, swimming hard after Tigerstar. He couldn't find his own way; it was obey the voice or die.

As he felt the current growing softer, he pushed himself harder, knowing any lapse in persistence could send him sprawling back into the watery vortex. The river was still strong, tugging his fur back towards the torrent. Refusing to give in, he pressed on, continuing upriver.

Finally, with the current pulling him only one way, he regained his sense of direction. Looking upwards, he saw himself slowly getting closer to Graystripe, who was leaning over the bridge, Cinderpelt and Sandstorm beside him.

Then, Fireheart spotted something up ahead, rushing towards them, pushed along by the river's current. A thick branch, probably swept along all the way from Treecut Place.

"Graystripe!" He managed to call out, unsure if he could be heard. "Grab the branch!"

Graystripe looked confused for a moment, but as it passed under the bridge and into his view, a look of realization crossed his face. He lunged for it, grasping one of the smaller appendages jutting from it in his teeth. Sandstorm reached out with a forepaw to snag the bark with her claws, but there was no space for Cinderpelt to risk squeezing in without falling, especially with her leg affecting her balance.

Tigerstar clearly recognized the route to safety that the thick branch offered, just as Fireheart had. The two toms began to paddle towards it, their only escape from the waters of the river. Fireheart knew that if he did not grab onto it, especially with his strength quickly depleting, he would soon be swept away to die.

Tigerstar beat him to the log, digging his claws into the bark. With his weight tugging the branch downstream, it began to drift, Graystripe and Sandstorm desperately trying to tug it back. Though Fireheart knew the two of them would not hesitate to let Tigerstar drown, this log was not just Tigerstar's only hope, but his as well. Suddenly, Darkstripe, who had been hanging back and looking petrified, darted forward onto the bridge and reached, snapping his jaws closed over another small branch coming from the main log. With his support, it halted in the water.

Fireheart knew he had to grab onto the branch, but feared that his added weight would send the log spinning again, or worse, pull Graystripe and Sandstorm into the water. Regardless, he reached out and grabbed it, snagging the bark with his claws. The impact rocked the log for a moment, and just as it seemed like it would hold, it began to gently pull downriver.

"Pull it!" Sandstorm cried, trying yank it back towards them. Fireheart let out a yowl of surprise as something struck the bottom of the log and Tigerstar's lower half, which was still submerged in water. The impact dislodged the powerful tabby, who only had time for a short cry of surprise as he was pulled from the log and beneath the water. Fireheart looked back to see another, smaller branch bob up from beneath the surface and float swiftly away. He had no time to ponder that his enemy's fate may have just been sealed; he still had to ensure that his own life was safe.

Hoping that the log would hold, now that it was free of Tigerstar, he began to pull himself slowly onto it's surface, getting one back leg out of the water and onto the bark. He removed the other and planted it firmly onto the log when he felt a stabbing pain in his sides. Yowling with surprise and pain, he looked back and found Tigerstar gripping his sides with his forepaws, claws extended, digging into his fur.

"Hurry, Fireheart!" Sandstorm yowled as the log began to lurch backwards. It fell so far back that both he and Tigerstar were submerged for a moment, before the three cats supporting it managed to yank them back above the surface.

Gasping, he attempted to climb up one of the larger branches, but found Tigerstar's weight would not allow him to. Each time he tried to pull himself forward, Tigerstar's claws sunk deeper into his skin, dragging him back.

"Give up, Fireheart," Tigerstar's voice, dripping with hatred, hissed from behind him. "If I die, _you_ will be with me."

Both Graystripe and Darkstripe's eyes flashed with fear, but their grips on the log kept them from speaking.

"Come on, Fireheart!" Cinderpelt urged. "Pull him up with you, if you have to!"

"Yes, Fireheart," Tigerstar growled again, "pull me up with you. Even if you rid yourself of me now, you'll have to kill me eight times over!"

Without warning, Tigerstar dug his claws deeper into Fireheart's sides, resulting in a cry of pain. Pulling himself over the flame-colored tom, Tigerstar crawled up the branch that Darkstripe had hold of, almost reaching the bridge. The sudden shift in weight sent the log spiraling forward, Tigerstar's eyes widening with surprise, and even fear. Graystripe instantly lunged forward, front paws resting on the log, grasping the scruff of Fireheart's neck in his teeth. Tigerstar reached out with his forepaws to grab hold of Darkstripe, sinking his claws into the other tom's shoulders. Darkstripe let out a screech of pain and terror as the log disappeared from under Tigerstar's hind paws, the weight of the dark tabby pulling both toms into the water, smacking into the log as they fell.

Sandstorm and Cinderpelt both had hold of Graystripe, pulling him back onto the bridge, Fireheart scrambling with his paws for some sort of land to grasp. His claws scratched at the bridge, and finally, he was heaved onto the wooden surface by his friends, gasping and panting.

To Fireheart, it felt like an eternity had passed since he had crashed into Tigerstar, throwing them both into the falls below.

"Fireheart," Graystripe panted, yellow eyes filled with emotion. "Are you alright?"

He had just fallen from unimaginable heights, nearly drowned, and then had barely escaped being pulled back into a watery grave by his enemy. All he had to show for it were a few gashes down his sides and a soaked pelt.

"Yeah..." he breathed, exhaustion threatening to overtake him, "...I'll be okay."

* * *

The next chapter was even more exciting to write than this one =D I'm excited to post it.

Reviews will convince me to post one more chapter before I vanish for a week. =[


	32. Finale

Wow, FF's been having problems lately. I've been back all yesterday and today, but it wouldn't let me log on until this morning, and then it still wouldn't let me update. I'm just starting to get alerts about forum postings now, too. Jeez.

If any of you think that this chapter is creepy, I've done a good job.

**Disclaimer; I own...not much; and Warriors isn't one of those few things.**

* * *

Darkness swirled around him, moving like the water he had thought himself to be in. Apparently, he was wrong. He could breathe, yet felt himself still spinning, as if he were still submerged in the river's torrent.

"Open your eyes, Tigerstar."

Upon command, he wrenched them open, startled at what he found. Grass beneath his paws, a starry forest surrounding him. He had not realized that his eyes had been closed.

"StarClan?" He mumbled, head still spinning.

"Do you not recognize us, Tigerstar?"

Focusing on the cats in front of him, Tigerstar's eyes widened with sudden shock. Six cats were seated before him, one closer than the rest. The one that was speaking.

Bluestar.

"Ah," she meowed. "You remember us, now."

"Why have you brought me here?" He hissed, paying no mind to the silent cats behind his former leader. As long as they kept quiet, they meant nothing to him.

"You have lost your first life," Bluestar explained.

Tigerstar dug his claws into the grass. A feeling of anger boiled up inside him, but he quickly quelled it. He had eight more lives to go; many more than would be required to finish off Fireheart.

"So heal me," he demanded.

Bluestar held his stare, her blue eyes cold.

"You have sealed your own fate."

"My 'fate' isn't sealed until eight lives from now," he snapped.

Bluestar closed her eyes, as if thinking. Moments later, they reopened, locking onto his own.

Shooting pain ripped through him, his mouth falling open in a silent scream. The starry forest fell away, blackness replacing it. He saw nothing, but could feel himself gripping bark, hear himself yowl with fright. Air flew past him as he fell, and he screeched as he felt himself smack into the ground, bones snapping and breaking, his life gone instantly.

His eyes flew open; once again, they had been closed without his knowledge. Panting, he stared into her eyes with confusion and anger.

"What did you do?" He demanded threateningly.

Bluestar sat completely still, unresponsive.

"Seven lives."

Tigerstar's hackles rose and alarms went off in his mind.

_Seven?_ He thought, pressing back his growing panic and focusing on the confused anger that he felt. _I've only died once; I should have eight lives left!_

Bluestar got up from where she sat, heading in the direction of the cat furthest to the left. He, in turn, stepped forward, taking a seat where Bluestar had been.

"Hello, Tigerstar."

Tigerstar said nothing.

"Can't even spare me a few words?" Redtail answered. "Perhaps I wouldn't either, in your position."

He closed his eyes, and once again, when they reopened, Tigerstar's vision instantly blackened. Pain greeted him, though it was not as horrible as before.

He could feel pebbles under his paws, not grass, as if he were at Sunningrocks. He was merely standing, a sense of pride filling him, when he suddenly felt a weight press down on his back, shoving him to the ground. He didn't have the time to even yowl before a pair of fangs closed over the back of his neck.

For a second time, his eyes flew open.

"Six lives."

Redtail got to his paws and traded seats with another cat, one who anyone would have recognized.

"Crookedstar," he breathed, "what are you -?"

"You may not have killed me with your own claws," the tom began, "but it was you who turned my deputy against me, you who filled my prey with deathberries. You who killed my only daughter."

Crookedstar repeated what the two cats before him had done, and Tigerstar desperately tried to look away. However, the tom's eyes seemed unavoidable, and he was drawn back to them.

This time, pain seemed to grow slowly as the sightless vision went on. The scent of the river filled his nostrils, soft bedding beneath his body. His mouth filled with fish, and, strangely, it tasted delicious to him. He swallowed, quickly taking another bite.

For some reason, he began to shake. He felt confusion welling up inside him, and as his limbs began to move without his control, panic as well. He felt his eyes rolling back in his head, claws extending, thrashing about, his body jerking on it's own accord. His throat had swelled up; he could not make a sound.

When his eyes flew open, he could not resist shuddering at the awful helplessness he had felt.

"Five lives."

The tom moved back towards a she-cat, who stepped forward.

"Well?" Tigerstar managed, struggling to keep his composure. He had to appear defiant, even before StarClan. He _was _defiant. They couldn't kill him; no one could. "Don't you have some sort of greeting for me?"

Yellowfang's eyes narrowed.

"I have nothing to say to you."

Blackness surrounded him, as he had come to expect, but instead of pain, he felt hot. Unbearably hot. Suddenly, there was the feeling of paws thrusting upwards into his belly, sending him flying. He landed on his feet, felt himself searching around. The heat was closing in; he resisted the urge to yowl aloud as his whiskers burned away, his fur singing, the flames licking at his skin. He felt himself leap, then crash to the ground with exhaustion, life ebbing away as someone nearby spoke…

Tigerstar opened his eyes with a grimace, holding his stare with Yellowfang. The old she-cat growled.

"Four lives."

Tigerstar took a moment to think as the next cat stepped up. StarClan couldn't be taking all of his lives; there simply weren't enough cats. He would have two left after the last two cats had finished. Then he would awaken in the living forest, or wherever he would be, angry at StarClan's injustice; but alive.

"You betrayed me," Dustpelt spoke. "I should have seen it coming."

"Yes, you should have," Tigerstar snapped back. "Did you honestly think I cared about your safety? You were part of my plan, Dustpelt, nothing more."

"Clearly," he answered, his eyes shining with wisdom that could only come with death. "But you're not who I was trying to impress, Tigerstar."

Darkness enveloped him; he could feel himself clinging to a rocky surface, but see nothing. His back paws scrambled for something to grip, and he reached up with one paw desperately. The move sent him slowly backwards, falling endlessly. Terror gripped him; he was unable even to yowl as he tumbled to his fate. Finally, he smacked into the water, the impact jolting through his body. He found himself unable to find the surface as his senses slowly faded away...

"Three lives."

Tigerstar panted, the constant visions getting to him. StarClan could try and try again to rid the forest of him, but they would fail. They could show him the deaths that he had caused, but it wouldn't be enough. He had only killed six cats.

The final cat stepped forward, a silvery she-cat with long fur. Her blue eyes rested on his hateful amber ones, and he growled with satisfaction.

"Going to try and kill me, Silverstream?" He hissed, panting, eyes darting around anxiously. "I have three lives left; I'll be happy to watch you die."

Silverstream didn't move, nor did she speak. She closed her eyes, and only then did she part her jaws for words.

"If my death brings you so much joy, Tigerstar," she said, "I only wonder what the death of my kits will do to you."

Tigerstar had only enough time to widen his eyes before the vision began.

_"No! Tigerclaw, you don't understand!"_

This time, he could see, and it was his own face he was staring into, his own claws pinning him to the rocks. It was not his own voice that spoke, however, though it came from him.

_"Yowl all you'd like," his voice hissed, his eyes dark with satisfaction. "It won't save you."_

_"You can't kill me,"_ he felt himself speaking, though it was a she-cat's voice. Silverstream's voice._ "I've told you what you wanted to know!"_

_"And I'm so very glad,"_ he purred,_ "though I cannot spare you."_

_"Then I've lied,"_ he growled, regret seeping through him; though it was not truly him, nor truly him feeling regret at all. _"I've broken my promise for nothing at all!"_

He opened his mouth to shriek when his own claws dragged across his throat, but no sound emerged. He couldn't breathe, couldn't move. He lay, bleeding on the pebbles, simply waiting for it to end as he watched himself pad away without remorse…

"Two lives."

His sight suddenly vanished, falling into a world of blackness once again. He was lost; it was all moving much too quickly. He was losing track of who he was and who he was seeing the life of. Reality was becoming distorted, and he no longer knew what was real.

None of this mattered compared to the sudden warmth. Warmth and peace were all he knew, all he could remember. Peaceful waiting. Waiting for what, he knew not, but that was not the important thing. He was content.

Slowly, the cozy feeling began to fade. His small body began to cool, and his black, peaceful world began to slip away.

"One life."

The body beside him, which he had never truly noticed until now, was already cold and lifeless. He felt himself drifting off, his emotions not acute enough to register 'fear', or 'helplessness'…

"Good-bye, Tigerstar."

* * *

Because it wouldn't be right to deny Tigerstar of his final stand.

I'm quite proud of this.

Reviews bring us closer to the ever-approaching end of 'Distorted Reality'. [which may take me a bit longer, seeing as I have to make sure I can live up to my own standards].


	33. Telling

Well, it took a little longer than usual to get this chapter out. Mostly because I'm trying to come to the 'perfect' conclusion for this story. Though I know it'll never be _completely _how I want it, I'm going to try my best to get it as close as I can.

By the way, for anyone getting nervous [lol, people actually care about my stories! I pretty much love all of you, reviewers] this is not the last chapter. There's still at least two more coming.

**Disclaimer; I own absolutely nothing to do with Warriors.**

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Fireheart stood a fair way back, eyes glued to the edge of the gorge. In one moment, when it had appeared to Fireheart that Tigerstar was going to make it, everything had gone wrong. Now he was gone, dragging Darkstripe with him to their deaths.

Could it really be over?

Fireheart turned around towards the cats behind him, studying their expressions. Leopardfur was standing near Stonefur, both of them looking shocked. Leopardfur shook her head in a quick motion, as if to dispel her thoughts, and turned towards Stonefur, placing a tail on his flank in a motion to follow her. As she padded away towards RiverClan camp, Fireheart felt compelled to say something to her…yet there were no words. Graystripe was staring off into the gorge as he had been, bright yellow eyes filled with emotions like disbelief. Sandstorm was looking similar, while Cinderpelt was holding herself differently; confidently, her eyes looking towards where Tigerstar had disappeared under the water with slight scorn, as if she had known this would be the outcome all along. Longtail was the cat who interested him most; he was hanging back from the rest of the group, eyes wide with desperation and claws still unsheathed. Both his leader and his deputy, who he had faithfully followed in all of their plotting, were dead in one battle. The only other cat who could have faced judgment along with him was also dead. He, the most cowardly of them all, was left to face his fate alone.

But who would decide such a fate? ThunderClan was without a leader _or _a deputy. Fireheart was fairly certain that a situation such as this had never occurred before, and if it had, he still didn't know what the solution was.

"Hey!" Graystripe had suddenly noticed Leopardfur's departure, and snapped the trance everyone seemed to have been held in. "Where do you think you're going?"

The she-cat turned over her shoulder.

"Back to my Clan. This battle is finished."

"You think you can just walk away, after everything you've helped Tigerstar put us through?" He snapped.

"I…I have done nothing to help Tigerstar conspire against you," she responded hesitantly, "anything and everything I did was for the good of my Clan."

Graystripe looked ready to argue, but Cinderpelt held up her tail. The gray tom looked over at her with a puzzled expression.

"You're going to let her walk away?"

"Let her go, Graystripe," she said, "there has been enough fighting. After all, any judgement we pass on her hardly matters; it is StarClan who will decide her fate in the end."

Fireheart stared at his former apprentice with wonder. When had his bubbly, excitable apprentice gotten so wise?

Graystripe seemed to be thinking along the same lines, as he blinked with confusion. Cinderpelt didn't seem to notice.

"Where's Cloudkit?" Fireheart suddenly asked, remembering the small tom, scolding himself for allowing his safety to slip his mind.

"Who?" Graystripe looked over, and seemed to see Fireheart for the first time. His yellow eyes met Fireheart's own, and he visibly relaxed, joy and relief appearing on his face.

"Princess' kit," he explained. "Cloudkit."

"But…he didn't have a name, Fireheart," Sandstorm pointed out.

"I know," he said, "I thought of it. I mean, as long as Princess likes it, I hoped to keep it…"

"I think it's a perfect name," Graystripe decided. "There'd be no reason for her not to like it."

Fireheart felt the tips of his ears go red, but shook the feeling away. There was no time to think about things like that. His Clan was without a leader or deputy. He had a kit to return to it's mother. There was work to do.

The sound of pawsteps caught all of their attention, and they turned towards where Runningwind was approaching, a group ThunderClan warriors behind him. He halted a few fox-lengths away.

"Where's Tigerstar?" He hissed. "What are you two doing, just standing there?"

"Tigerstar is dead," Graystripe stated. "Darkstripe, too. They were swept into the gorge."

"How do we know you aren't lying?"

"Why would we lie?" Graystripe went on, irritation plain in his voice. "The only liars in ThunderClan are dead. Besides, Leopardfur saw; but she's already gone."

"Longtail can tell you," Fireheart spoke up, gaining the attention of every cat in the group. With his tail, he motioned towards where the tom was still standing, watching the conversation with eyes that only grew wider at the mention of his name.

"W-what?" Longtail stammered, backing up a pawstep.

"Yes, you can tell them," Graystripe growled, "where are Tigerstar and Darkstripe?"

"I…" he appeared to be at a loss for words, "they're…dead. They're not lying."

Runningwind's eyes widened. "And you're just letting these two walk freely, after what they've done?"

"They haven't done anything, Runningwind," Cinderpelt replied calmly. "You've been lied to. All of ThunderClan has been lied to."

"I don't understand," Mousefur asked. "What lies?"

Though Fireheart opened his mouth to speak, Cinderpelt beat him to it.

"It isn't fair to the rest of the Clan to explain here," she said. "If you want to hear the truth, we'll have to go back to camp."

Fireheart watched as the group hesitantly looked around at each other, unsure what to do without some sort of leadership. Cinderpelt began limping towards camp, and with a glance at the rest of them, Runningwind followed. Sandstorm and Graystripe began padding away, the rest of the warriors slowly heading after, while he quickly snatched up Cloudkit before pursuing them.

---

"Cats of ThunderClan!"

As cats gathered around, a few took the time to mumble in confusion at the prospect of a medicine cat sitting atop the Highrock. Cinderpelt was perched where Tigerstar would normally sit, and Bluestar before him. Fireheart thought about it for a moment, and wondered if a medicine cat had ever called ThunderClan to gather beneath them from that spot before.

"All of you have been told to believe that Fireheart and Graystripe are your enemies," she began, the Clan gathered around. Fireheart was sitting with Cloudkit between his forepaws, Graystripe seated close to him. Sandstorm was sitting a fair bit away, staring past the Highrock with a far away look on her face. "This is a lie. You have been told that Fireheart murdered Silverstream; this is a lie. You have been told that Fireheart and Graystripe wish to deceive you and not to be trusted; this is also a lie."

"That's not what Tigerstar said!" Speckletail snapped from the crowd. "If we've been lied to so much, how do we know _you _are not the liar?"

"You don't," Cinderpelt stated flatly. "But both your leader and your deputy are dead; if you cannot trust your own medicine cat, who can you expect to trust?"

The old she-cat fell silent, and Fireheart felt a feeling of pride that his former apprentice had managed to quiet the most nagging cat in ThunderClan.

"However, it is Fireheart, not me, who will tell you the truth."

Immediately, all eyes turned to him. Fireheart felt himself shrinking under the gaze of so many cats who thought him a liar.

"Go on," Graystripe urged quietly, nudging him with his tail.

"Fireheart?" Cinderpelt called from her place, her voice taking on a less commanding, and more friendly tone.

_She can't want me to go up there, _he thought quickly. However, this seemed to be exactly what Cinderpelt wanted, as she waited patiently for him to either speak or join her. Graystripe seemed to know it too, as he nudged him yet again. Sandstorm glanced over at him expectantly, and everyone seemed to be waiting on him.

Getting to his paws, Fireheart hesitantly stepped forward, reaching the base of the Highrock, looking up at Cinderpelt. She flicked her tail, and Fireheart leapt up to join her. As he turned and sat, all of ThunderClan were scattered before him. He was going to have to tell the entire story, and pray to StarClan that they believed him.

_Tell them, Fireheart._

It was Spottedleaf's voice in his ear, a voice he hadn't heard since before his escape during the Gathering. She had walked in one of his dreams before, hadn't she? He couldn't quite remember. It had all been so long ago.

"This…this all began quite awhile before Tigerstar became ThunderClan's leader," he began. "At a Gathering that I'm sure you all remember…"

* * *

'Falling action'...who knew I would ever actually use those terms I learned in English?

Reviews inspire!


	34. Gift

Alright, I might actually have a definite number on the remaining chapters - two. One 'real' chapter, and the epilouge. Which I'm not going to put a time frame on, other than it won't take an obnoxiously long time. But you should all know that already. Though I'm not pumping out chapters daily anymore as this fic comes to an end, I still try to update within a reasonable time frame.

**Disclaimer; I own not a single thing.**

* * *

Cinderpelt had listened to every word of Fireheart's tale, though she knew most of it already. She watched the expressions on the faces of her Clanmates; some who clearly believed, and some who clearly did not. There were some who appeared confused, and some who appeared not to care anymore. She did her best to understand all reactions. There had been so many lies, so much betrayal, that she wasn't sure she would believe it either, if she had not known the truth all along.

As Fireheart drew his explanation to a close, Cinderpelt's mind wandered towards another topic. Who would lead ThunderClan? There was no leader, no deputy. Only warriors, apprentices, queens and their kits…and her. ThunderClan's medicine cat. But medicine cats were meant to heal, not lead. It was not her place to lead her Clanmates, but to advise them, and she knew that.

"Even if you aren't lying," Speckletail grumbled from the crowd, and Cinderpelt found herself trying, with great difficutly, to sympathize with this cat. Speckletail was the most impossible cat Cinderpelt could imagine, and she knew that reasoning with her would be a difficult task. "What will ThunderClan do now? We're without a leader. Do you expect us to meander around our territory like a group of lawless rouges?"

"No one's becoming rouges here, Speckletail," Fireheart told her, and Cinderpelt was surprised that her friend had answered. He had seemed hesitant to begin his story, but once he had started, his speech had seemed to come easier and easier. Now he was answering the Clan's questions like it was his own. "And we're certainly not lawless; but we don't have an answer for that question yet. Right, Cinderpelt?"

Cinderpelt nodded.

"I will make a trip to Highstones as soon as possible," she assured the Clan. "Until then, we must wait for StarClan's guidance."

Cats began mumbling amongst themselves, but no one outwardly challenged her judgment. Cinderpelt took the responsibility in stride. Until ThunderClan had a proper leader, it was her duty to guide them.

When she dropped down from the Highrock, Fireheart followed after her.

"Fireheart," she suddenly thought of something. "What about Cloudkit?"

His eyes darkened with sudden understanding.

"Oh," he meowed. "I suppose I should take him back to Princess, now that…"

"I'm sure she's been worried," Cinderpelt went on as Fireheart's sentence trailed off. Though she knew the thought of giving him back saddened her friend, a kit belonged with it's mother. She couldn't deny that.

Fireheart nodded, and wordlessly headed over to the nursery.

---

Fireheart looked up at the fence with hesitation. He hadn't seen Princess or Smudge since they, Graystripe and Sandstorm had been attacked. Who knew what conclusion they had come to about he and Cloudkit's fates. Perhaps they thought he was dead. Fireheart didn't want to imagine what Princess must have thought had happened to her precious kit.

Propelling himself up the fence, he dropped down soundlessly on the other side. As he had hoped, a black and white tom was sprawled out on the grass, sleeping peacefully.

Setting the small kit on the ground, his eyes warmed at the sight.

"Smudge."

The tom's ears flicked in his direction, and one eye cracked open. Then, they widened, and the kittypet scrambled to his paws.

"Fireheart!" He cried, padding across the grass as quick as he could. "You're alive!'

"I'm glad to see you," he meowed happily. Smudge's mood only got brighter as he spotted the kit at Fireheart's paws.

"Princess' kit!" He cried, studying the small tom for injury. "Oh, Fireheart, she's going to be so happy! She's been worried sick. Come on, we'll go see her now!"

Fireheart picked up the kit and followed his jubilant friend. Smudge seemed to be bursting with joy over his return, especially since he had brought Cloudkit along with him. The two raced over fences and halted at Princess' yard, Smudge running up to her Twoleg's nest and pawing at the entrance.

"Princess!" He called. "Princess, are you in there?"

He heard a faint voice reply, and anticipation swelled in his chest.

"Come outside; you have visitors!"

Hesitantly, the tabby she-cat emerged from the Twoleg nest. She peered around suspiciously, until her eyes landed on Fireheart. Her eyes warmed instantly, and Fireheart thought they would burst with joy when she spotted her kit.

"My kit!" She cried. "Fireheart, you're alive! You brought him home!"

She wrapped her tail around Cloudkit and brought him close to her, licking him furiously. Her purring seemed to resonate through all three of them, and Fireheart felt a bittersweet happiness at the sight.

Cloudkit was home, where he belonged. Yet, this fact would not make the journey back alone any easier.

"We've been calling him Cloudkit," Fireheart mentioned, "back at ThunderClan."

"Thank you so much, Fireheart," she purred, looking up at him. "How did you ever survive?"

"There was a fight," Fireheart decided to be vague. After all, he couldn't expect Smudge and Princess to fully understand what had happened when they didn't understand the Clans, or know the cats he would need to mention. "But we've won. The cats that were after us are gone."

"Your friends are alright, aren't they?" She asked. He nodded.

"Everyone's fine."

"Oh, I'm so glad," she went on. "Fireheart, I owe you so much."

"You don't owe me anything," he insisted. "Besides, Smudge has already done more than I could ever repay him for. You both have."

He knew he was going to have to leave soon. He couldn't encroach on the lives of these two cats any longer. He had spent enough time here over the past moons.

"You two have helped me more than you know," he meowed. "I can't thank you enough."

"You've kept my son safe," Princess added. "You don't need to thank me for anything."

"Friends help each other, Fireheart," Smudge shrugged. "And I had always hoped I'd see you again, after you left for the forest."

"I'll miss you both," he said, dipping his head. Then, he turned away, padding off towards the fence, not allowing himself to be swayed into looking back. He had to think of the future, what was ahead of him. A Clan life. With his friends, free of Tigerstar's treachery. With Graystripe.

"Fireheart!"

He stopped.

"Wait, just a moment!"

Princess caught up to him, just before he would have scaled the fence. She placed her kit down at his paws.

"Please…I want you to take my son with you; Cloudkit with you."

"What?" He asked, jaw falling open slightly. After all the horrors she had heard about and been witness to, she was willing to give him the greatest gift, her only kit?

"Take him with you," she repeated. "Make him a warrior, brave and strong like you. He'll be so much more than he could ever be if I raised him."

Fireheart blinked with surprise. "I…"

"Please, Fireheart," she insisted. "You've kept him safe so far; I trust you. My Twolegs will only take him from me if he stays here. As much as I wish he could stay with me, he'll have a better future with you, as a warrior."

Fireheart glanced down at Cloudkit, and then back up at Princess.

"Alright," he agreed. "I promise you, Princess; I won't let anything happen to him."

Of course things would happen, if Cloudkit were to live as a Clan cat. But he meant big things. Life or death things. He had endured enough life or death struggles to last him a lifetime, and was determined that such things would never befall the small tom.

She nodded. "I know."

"Goodbye," he said, and then turned towards his other friend. "Goodbye, Smudge!"

"Goodbye, Fireheart!" He called, black and white tail weaving back and forth contentedly.

Fireheart picked up the white kit in his jaws, and with a final glance towards the cats who had helped him through so much, scaled the fence and disappeared over the other side.

---

"Fireheart!"

Graystripe was the first to greet him upon his return, flanked by Cinderpelt.

"What's wrong?" He asked with concern. "Why's Cloudkit still with you?"

Fireheart set the kit on the ground. "Princess told me to take him. To let him lead the life of a warrior."

"She said that?" Graystripe gaped. Cinderpelt made no comment, but studied the young tom carefully.

"She told me her Twolegs would just take him from her if he stayed," he went on, "and that he'll have a better life here than wherever he might end up with them."

Cinderpelt nodded. "That's a brave decision, for a kittypet."

"I'm glad she made it," Graystripe watched the tom with warm eyes. "Just as I was starting to like the little scrap he almost left!"

"Yeah," Fireheart stared down at the tom. "Brindleface looked a little sad when I took him. I'd better go tell her the news."

"Before you go," Cinderpelt said, a warning tone in her voice. "Goldenflower had her kits while you were gone."

"That's great," he said, "I'll congratulate her while I'm there. Why do you two look so bothered?"

Graystripe was looking down at the grass, while Cinderpelt's expression was blank.

"Just…don't comment on the tom, okay?"

"Is something wrong with him?" He asked. Surely his friends didn't think that he would tease a queen about their kit, if something was amiss. They thought better of him than that, didn't they?

"No," Graystripe spoke this time. "You'll see for yourself."

Confused by the vague messages, he picked up Cloudkit and headed towards the nursery. As he padded inside, Brindleface caught his attention before he even thought to look for Goldenflower. Her eyes widened for a moment, and she gave him an amused, but friendly look before speaking.

"Couldn't do it?"

He set the tom down beside his foster siblings.

"His mother told me to take him back," he said. "To let him lead a warrior's life."

Brindleface licked Cloudkit once. "From the looks of it, he'll make a fine warrior."

Satisfied, he turned to leave, catching sight of the she-cat his friends had warned him about. Curled up against Goldenflower's belly were two small kits, a tortishell she-cat, and -

Oh.

Fireheart understood Graystripe and Cinderpelt's warning now. The second kit might as well have been Tigerstar reborn.

He noticed a moment too late that he was staring, and that Goldenflower was returning the gaze none too kindly.

"Congratulations," he meowed quickly.

"Thank you," she responded tersely, shifting her tail so that it wrapped around her two kits in a protective gesture. The air in the normally comforting den had become unbearably tense, and Fireheart quickly took his leave.

Graystripe was waiting for him.

"So?" He asked, once they were settled at the fresh-kill pile. "Did you see him?"

"Yeah," Fireheart answered. "No need to ask who the father is; _was_."

"I know," he replied, pulling a finch towards him with his paw. "I'm surprised she didn't name him Tigerkit."

"That's a bit harsh."

The two toms jumped a little at the voice. Sandstorm took a place beside them, and they relaxed once they saw that it was only her.

"Why?" Graystripe asked.

"After everything that's been said, I don't think anyone will be using that name again soon," she meowed.

"I'm sure there are cats who still believe Tigerstar," Fireheart commented quietly, biting into a mouse.

"Anyway," Sandstorm went on, "the tom's name is Bramblekit, not Tigerkit. The she-cat is Tawnykit."

As they ate, Cinderpelt joining them not too long later, Fireheart contemplated the future of ThunderClan. Cloudkit was an official Clan cat, he and Graystripe were safely home; even Tigerstar's new descendants were doing well. One, serious question still remained, as always.

Who would lead them?

* * *

This question shall be answered in the next chapter =D

Reviews...ah, whatever. You all know what I'm going to say.


	35. Completion

You know what I said about there being two chapters left? Well...change of plans. _This _is actually the last chapter. Everything just wrapped up so well that dragging it out any longer would be pointless. I hope you enjoy the last update!

**Disclaimer; I've said it for 34 chapters and I'll say it again. I don't own anything.**

* * *

"Fireheart?"

He had almost managed to fall asleep, but someone appeared to be trying to wake him. He glanced up and met blue eyes, a she-cat's face looking down at him.

"I need to talk to you, Fireheart."

He resisted the urge to groan as he got to his paws, stretching and yawning.

"What is it, Cinderpelt?"

She shook her head. "I can't tell you here. Come on; to my den."

The two of them padded to the medicine den, slipping inside. Night had cast it's dark shadows over ThunderClan camp, and Fireheart found himself wanting nothing but sleep.

"Do you remember that day," she began, sitting down and draping her tail around her paws, "that you were attacked? When Graystripe and I found you in Smudge's yard?"

He remembered. He had collapsed in exhaustion and pain and drifted into unconsciousness, dangerously near death. However, when he awoke, his wounds had been dressed, and he was informed by Smudge that a gray tom and his friend had saved him. He nodded.

"Well," she went on, "I was the one who told Graystripe that you were there. He had already checked, so I could tell he was skeptical, but I was right."

"How did you know?" He asked, genuinely curious.

Her bright blue eyes glanced upwards. "Silverstream told me."

"Silverstream?" He questioned with surprise. She nodded.

"She told me that you were in danger, and that only I could save you," she explained. "'The home of the kittypet tom', that's where she told me. She said Graystripe would understand, and he did. She also told me something else…"

Cinderpelt trailed off, looking a bit confused.

"What?"

"I never really understood what she meant by this part," she continued, "but I told her that I would tell you, so I will. She told me to say that she's sorry she could not keep her promises, and that she tried."

Cinderpelt still looked puzzled, but Fireheart knew. Her promises. She had first promised him that they would be fine; her and Graystripe. That she would allow nothing bad to come of their forbidden relationship. The second promise had been much more serious; her promise to never speak about his feelings for Graystripe. Silverstream's death, followed by Tigerstar's revealing of his secrets at that Gathering, all fit together. She had tried, but it hadn't been enough. Trouble had come from their forbidden meetings, and she had been unable to keep Fireheart's secret.

"I take you that you know what she meant," Cinderpelt said, not looking as confused as she had been. Her voice was simple; she sounded neither curious to know, nor annoyed that she hadn't been told. Many moons ago she would have pestered him for days about the topic until he gave in. How many times had he asked himself when she had gotten so wise?

He merely nodded. Suddenly he felt compelled to voice his thoughts, the ones that had been crossing his mind for awhile now.

"Cinderpelt," he began, "Yellowfang would be proud of you; do you know that?"

She seemed taken aback by his statement.

"What makes you say that?"

"You've come a long way from an obnoxious little apprentice," he teased.

"I was never obnoxious!" She declared, though her tone held amusement. "I like to refer to it as 'eager'."

Fireheart rolled his eyes. "Alright, 'eager', then. I just thought you should know."

He got to his paws and turned to pad away. Halfway to the exit, he stopped, and turned over his shoulder.

"_I'm_ proud of you, too."

Cinderpelt's eyes shone at the statement, but it quickly disappeared. She waved her tail in a dismissive gesture.

"Yeah, yeah," she meowed, "I'm just glad everyone's stopped treating me like a kit."

As Fireheart padded out into the night, he could have swore he heard Cinderpelt say something else.

_"I'm proud of you, too, Fireheart; just as StarClan is."_

He shook his head slightly. He was tired. He had probably just imagined it.

---

A peaceful forest surrounded him, grass folding beneath his paws. Trees stood tall wherever he looked, and no single Clan scent lingered in the air.

_Fireheart._

He looked around for the source of the voice, but appeared to be alone in the forest.

_Do you understand now, Fireheart?_

Fireheart blinked in confusion.

"Understand what?" He asked, the voice sounding familiar. It was Spottedleaf, he realized.

_Do you remember my warning to you, Fireheart, moons ago?_

He thought for a moment. No, he didn't remember. So much had gone on in the past moons, that most memories not pertaining to Tigerstar's treachery were hard to recall.

_Not everyone close to you is a friend, and not everyone afar is an enemy._

Fireheart suddenly understood. Yes, he remembered that. He had never been able to figure out what the former medicine cat meant by it.

_ThunderClan was filled with treachery at that time, Fireheart; liars who you shared a den with, caught prey with, lived alongside. Meanwhile, your most trusted friend was drifting farther from you with each passing moment._

He understood now. It all made sense. He had been working side by side with cats such as Tigerstar and Darkstripe every day, while Graystripe had seemed to be slipping farther and farther away from him each time he snuck off to visit Silverstream. So that's what she had meant...

"Oh," he meowed with understanding. "I'm sorry, I couldn't figure it out on my own. There was…"

_Too much for you to think about already. Do not worry, Fireheart, StarClan did not intend for you to contemplate this warning forever. There were far more important matters calling your attention._

Fireheart nodded, glad that she understood. However, something else plagued at the back of his mind, and he felt compelled to mention it.

"Spottedleaf," he began. "Part of your warning was to remind me that Graystripe would always be my friend. Yet, what if he can never move on from Silverstream? What if he can never let go; where does that leave me, even after all of this?"

_You must have faith in your friendship with Graystripe, Fireheart. You seem to be under the impression that if, given the chance, Graystripe would choose Silverstream over you._

Fireheart was fairly certain. Given the option to be with Silverstream or remain friends with him, Fireheart knew that he would be quickly forgotten.

_You underestimate the bond between you and Graystripe, Fireheart. It is a strong one, only made stronger by all of the hardship you have endured together. After everything the two of you have experienced, did Graystripe ever once abandon you?_

"No..."

_During the time when you were missing, did he ever once give up searching for you?_

"No." He answered, feeling foolish for asking to begin with. "I'm sorry, Spottedleaf. I just...needed to ask."

_There is nothing to be sorry for, Fireheart. Just as with my warning, you will figure this out in due time. Besides, it is time that you looked at the good you have done; just as the prophecy declared it, fire alone has saved our Clan._

Before Fireheart could say or do anything more, the forest began to fade. Slowly, he fell back into deep, dreamless sleep.

---

"Fireheart! Fireheart, wake up!"

Graystripe was prodding him furiously, startling him into waking up. He jolted to his paws and looked around.

"What? What is it?"

"The leader's den!" He said, hurrying outside and beckoning for Fireheart to follow. "Hurry!"

Confused by his friend's urgency, Fireheart quickly followed. When he stepped out into the clearing, he noticed that nearly the entire Clan had gathered, all of them in a state of panic.

"It's a sign!"

"StarClan is angry with us; we have waited too long to choose a leader!"

"Cinderpelt! Cinderpelt, speak to us!"

Fireheart darted forward, pushing through the crowd, eyes widening at what he saw. The leader's den was engulfed in fire, flames climbing and crackling in the air. His mouth fell open at the sight; what had caused this sudden burning? Worse; would it lead to an inferno like the forest had experienced not long before?

Then Fireheart noticed a cat seated just a few mouse-lengths in front of the fire, dangerously close. She was staring up at the flames, blue eyes widened and jaw slightly parted, as if she was particularly captivated by the flames.

"Cinderpelt," Frostfur was trying to beckon her daughter away from the danger. "Please, it's not safe!"

Fireheart hurried forward to Cinderpelt's other side. He tried to push her backwards, but she would not move. Nothing either of them could do would work; Cinderpelt was adamant at staring into the fire.

"Come on, get back!" Graystripe hurried forward and shoved him back himself. "It's too dangerous so close; Cinderpelt isn't going to move."

Frostfur was not too easily persuaded. When one of the flames licked at her fur, she leapt back, but only then. Still, no matter how close the fire got to Cinderpelt, she never appeared to feel the burning heat.

Suddenly, with every cat in ThunderClan watching, it died. The flames descended from the air and seemed to crawl back into the leader's den, disappearing. Not a single cat spoke or moved from their place.

Suddenly, Cinderpelt stood. She turned towards them, finally facing the Clan. Cats leaned forward, ready to hang on her every word; their only source of leadership.

"It's you," she said, her large blue eyes turned on Fireheart. "I saw you, in the flames."

"What's him?" Graystripe asked, sounding as confused as Fireheart felt.

"Fire alone has saved our Clan," she echoed Spottedleaf's words, and Fireheart suddenly felt anxious. She must have heard that from StarClan. The fire must have been a sign. "_You _have saved our Clan."

Still, no one spoke. They all waited for her to go on, to explain more.

"Fireheart is ThunderClan's new leader."

The air around him seemed to physically thicken. How could he be a leader? He was barely accepted here, in his own Clan. How could he lead these cats?

"Firestar."

It was Graystripe who broke the silence, staring at him with bright, golden eyes. He was looking at him like he had never seen him before; eyes filled with wonder, enlightenment.

Fireheart saw a glimmer of something else in that stare. Maybe...

He couldn't tell if he was imagining it or not. Wishful thinking, perhaps.

Love?

"Firestar," Sandstorm repeated, her expression full of something different; acceptance.

"Firestar!"

"Firestar!"

"Firestar!"

Soon the entire Clan was chanting. It was as if it were his warrior ceremony, his Clanmates cheering his new name for all to hear. Even cats who he knew couldn't stand him, like Speckletail and Longtail, quietly spoke the name. Firestar.

They had all seen the fire; not a single cat could deny witnessing the sign. Cinderpelt had spoken, words seemingly straight from StarClan. They all knew, whether they approved of it or not, that this was the completion of ThunderClan; the beginning of a new leadership, a reign of peace.

Silently, he looked up towards the sky, blocking out for a moment his captivated Clanmates. StarClan. They had helped him more than he could possibly imagine.

_Thank you, _he sent a silent thought to them, hoping they would hear.

_It was your destiny._

A warm feeling rose in his chest. This time, the voice belonged to Yellowfang.

* * *

Done.

Thirty five chapters, four months [wow, really?] and countless hours later, 'Distorted Reality' has come to an end. [And yes, it took me _exactly _four months to complete it. This wasn't posted on the date of completion, so FF doesn't say that...but I found it funny when I checked my clock and noticed that this began April 15th, and ended August 15th].

I've been planning this next part since around halfway through this story, and so I'll do it. Just to be clear; I appreciate _any and all _reviews I've gotten, and all my reviewers. These four people, however, get a little special mention.

**Tuume, ShadowClaw505, Siameze,** and** dude1094** were my most frequent, quality reviewers through out this whole story. So, though I appreciated everyone's reviews, I wanted to thank you guys extra, especially since without your support I would have _never _made my 100th review goal. I can't really do much other than say it again...thank you! =D


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